How to Take Care of Your Pregnant Omega
by MissKittyCheshire
Summary: Arthur is pregnant, and Alfred is having a hard time keeping up with his demands. Between the moodswings and the morning sickness- don’t even get him started on the cravings! Good thing he’s got reliable friends to call on when things get tough! “Just remember one thing; ‘Hell hath no fury like a pregnant Omega denied their cravings’. ” APH Omegaverse
1. chapter 1

**_Alright guys~ I'm kinda excited for this fic_**

 ** _I've been wanting to write a USxUK fic for a long time, and I knew it had to be an Omegaverse._**

 ** _I was finally was able to put my thoughts into writing in the form of this fic, so let me know what you think in the comments~!_**

 ** _I'm not sure how many parts this story will end up having, but if I get enough interest in it, I may extend it to include other couples as well~ *cough* GerIta *cough*_**

 ** _So without further ado~_**

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

 ** _How to Take Care of Your Pregnant Omega: Chapter 1 - Food Cravings_**

 _Overview_

If you haven't noticed already, you'll be sure to notice soon that your Omega mate may have some strange changes in dietary behavior over the course of their pregnancy. Situations such as increase in appetite, sudden change in food preference, or desire to consume food more often are all examples that are completely normal, and should be expected.

Once your mate reaches around the mid-point of their pregnancy term, you may experience another shift in their dietary behavior and needs. At this point, your Omega mate will most likely start to crave- meaning that any and all preferences and behaviors that they previously displayed with food are no longer applicable. Symptoms you should expect to see may include, but are not limited to; wanting to eat only one type of food (i.e; fish, or fruit), desiring to eat random foods, usually in combination (i.e; peanut butter and pickles), or, even only being able to stomach certain types of food due to nausea (morning sickness).

In some more extreme cases you may even expect to see changes with the _time_ that your Omega wants to eat at. Suddenly needing to eat completely random times (usually sometime between Midnight and 5:00 AM), or waking up at around these times with a strong craving for certain foods is again, something that could be expected. Subsequently, there may be cases that you experience where your Omega may feel like they won't able to go to sleep (or back to sleep), until they've consumed a sufficient amount of a craved food.

In this chapter you'll learn some tricks to help normalize your Omega's eating pattern and habits as much as possible, but always remember this; If your partner is craving a certain food, it's usually for a reason. Providing that it isn't something that they _shouldn't_ have (alcohol, allergens, etc.), it's usually best if you try to satisfy that craving to the best of your ability. To quote one of my favorite sayings;

 _"Hell hath no fury like a pregnant Omega denied their cravings."_

Well, we can't all be perfect, but it's your job as Alpha to treat your Omega mate right and try to make their pregnancy term go as smoothly as possible! So do your best, and good luck!

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

"...lfred~?"

"...Alfred~"

"..Al?"

"...mm..."

"Alfred!!"

"..!!!...Huh? Wha'...'m up I'm up..!"

Alfred suddenly bolted upright in bed at the sound of his name being called repeatedly.

 _Well_...more like he heard his name, but didn't feel like getting up...until somebody decided to slam a pillow over his face. He glanced around dazedly until his eyes settled on the figure in bed next to him.

"I've been calling your name for 15 bloody minutes you wanker!" Arthur seethed, reaching for another nearby pillow and slamming it into Alfred's face again.

 _Ah yes, his lovely Omega~_

" 'm sorry Artie...are ya alright? Whad'ya need?" Alfred asked through a large yawn, stretching his arms over his head sleepily. _What time was it anyways?_

"Oh, you're asking that _now_?" Arthur asked haughtily, green eyes shining with anger. "What about 15 minutes ago when I was trying to wake you up then, _hmm_? You bloody prat! What if the baby was coming?! You're supposed to be here for me when I need you, but you prioritize sleep over me!" Arthur's face was red with anger, but his angry rampage of words died down suddenly as large tears welled up in his big eyes.

 _Oh no..._

"So that's it, it is? You don't love me anymore you bloody tosser?! You'd rather stay in dreamland where you can ride flying hamburgers instead of waking up when I need you?!" The Brit bawled as unending streams of tears suddenly fell from his eyes and cascaded down his cheeks like waterfalls.

Alfred's heart cinched in excruciating pain at seeing his Omega cry.

"Artie, baby _no_ you know that's not- "

"It is too true!" Arthur sobbed uncontrollably, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hands. "I tried to wake you up...but you said ' _Leave me alone, I'm having a great dream about a flying hamburger right now_ '. Well I hope you're satisfied in your dream you wanker!"

Arthur sobbed a few more times before struggling to kick off the covers and push himself towards the edge of the bed. His extremely pregnant form made it excruciating to do simple things like getting out of bed, but he was too upset to be in the same area as his Alpha mate at the moment.

"Arthur, what're you- ?"

"Leave me alone! I'm leaving, you bloody prig!" The blonde cursed angrily, tears still shimmering in his eyes. He finally heaved himself off of the bed at landed on unsteady feet, hissing in discomfort at the stress his joints were put under. With one hand guiding himself along the wall, and the other wrapped protectively around his large stomach- Arthur did his best to waddle out of the bedroom- paying no head to the calls from his mate behind him.

"Artie? Arthur come back here!" Alfred called desperately, quickly jumping out of bed to follow the pregnant Omega into the kitchen.

"Arthur, look at me!"

Alfred finally caught up to his mate and placed a gentle hand on his arm- spinning him around. Arthur glanced up at the Alpha with big, green eyes- tears leaking from the corners as his lip quivered uncontrollably.

"Hey, now- everything's gonna be just fine baby~" Alfred cooed, gently pulling the sobbing Omega into loving hug.

Arthur tried to struggle against his mate's hold, but Alfred's grip was too strong and he soon found himself clinging to the American's sweatshirt and letting his back be rubbed as a sweet smell filled his nostrils and a calm washed over his body- allowing his breath to even out and his sobs to slowly die down.

 _Ah... If it was one thing that made Alfred thankful that he was an Alpha for, it was for being able to have pheromones that could soothe his mate down when he became scared or over-emotional...Which happened to occur quite often with Arthur's pregnancy mood swings..._

After a few more moments of back rubbing and whispering soothing words into his mate's ears, the Omega had finally calmed down enough to stop crying. Alfred placed a final loving kiss onto the mop of blonde leaning against his chest, then reached down to scoop up Arthur's legs- carrying him bridal style back to the bedroom.

"Are you alright now?" Alfred asked gently after he had gotten his pregnant mate back and situated into their king sized bed. Arthur slowly nodded his head, rubbing at his red-tinged eyes and nose.

"Artie...I'm sorry for making you think that you weren't my first priority.." The Alpha apologized sincerely, taking one of the Brit's hands into his own and kissing the back tenderly. "You are, and forever will be, my number one and only priority."

Alfred leaned down and placed a lingering kiss onto Arthur's swollen sweater-clad stomach.

"Now what was it that you needed love? Ask anything and I'll get it~"

Arthur looked skeptical for a moment before placing his hands on top of his stomach and rubbing. "The baby was hungry...It kept kicking me, and when I finally woke up, I was craving really bad..."

Alfred's mouth made an ' _o_ ' in understanding and he leaned forward to nuzzle cheeks with his mate. "I'm so sorry love, so that's why you were trying to wake me up...you want something to eat, right?"

The Omega looked down in embarrassment and nodded.

"No problem! So what're you craving for? I stocked up on most of your favorites when I went to the store the other day~"

Arthur tilted his head to the side in consideration, rubbing his stomach gently. "...Icecream..." He finally decided with a nod.

"Ah..Alright, easy-peasy~" The Alpha replied with a smile, chuckling on the inside.

 _Artie always gets the weirdest pregnancy cravings...he normally doesn't even like sweets that much...but he usually always wants them when his cravings kick in~..._

"Lucky for you, being the hero I am, I have foreseen your desire for icecream and bought 12 containers yesterday!" Alfred exclaimed triumphantly, mentally patting himself on the back for thinking to buy some extra cravings food for his mate. "So what'll it be? Rocky Road? Mint Chip? I know you love chocolate, so I bought Brownie Xtreme~ How about that~?"

"Strawberry."

"Huh?"

"Strawberry icecream..." Arthur replied methodically.

"Alright. Nothing else? Cause I can get you something els- "

"...with pickles..."

Alfred grimaced slightly but kept his smile up and nodded brightly.

"Course Artie~ Anything else?"

"Mmm...some anchovies too?"

"An-Anchovies...?" Alfred question hesitantly.

Arthur remained unperturbed and merely nodded. "The baby likes them..."

"Of course...the baby does~..." Alfred feigned agreement, internally cringing. "So some strawberry icecream...with pickles and...an...chovies...? That sound right...?"

The pregnant Omega nodded contentedly and snuggled against his pillow as his mate stood up and made to leave the bedroom.

"Alright, it'll be just a minute Artie~"

Alfred strolled back into their kitchen, finally glancing at the digital clock on their microwave. _2:30 AM_.

He sighed slightly at the prospect of not being able to return to dreamland anytime soon. (He had learned from experience throughout the earlier stages of Arthur's pregnancy that these midnight wake up calls usually lasted the course of several hours- and the Omega wouldn't even think of returning to sleep until he was completely satisfied.)

Still- Alfred wanted nothing more than to make sure that Arthur was healthy, happy, and well taken care of, so he quickly made his way to the freezer- scanning through the numerous cartons of icecream there until he found the one labeled ' _Sweet Strawberry_ '.

"Alright, there you are~"

Icecream carton in hand, the Alpha rummaged though the fridge until he found a jar of pickles, then grabbed Arthur's favorite bowl and began assembling his mate's hormone-induced cravings sundae.

"Ah right, almost forgot the anchovies..." The American cringed at the name, but began searching for them regardless. "That's weird...I don't think we have any more..."

Alfred furrowed his brow and searched one more time, but still couldn't find a trace of any anchovies in their kitchen. "Ah...well...maybe it'll be fine without them..?"

The Alpha picked up the sundae bowl, along with a spoon from their silverware drawer, and headed back into the bedroom.

"I have your icecream here Artie~" Alfred announced upon re-entering their master suite. The Omega in question popped his head up above the covers further to see what his mate had brought him.

"Ah, sorry- I was gonna tell you but then you left..." Arthur started, and Alfred stopped.

"Oh, not hungry anymore?"

"No, not that." The Omega replied with a shake of his head. "Clotted cream...I was gonna ask you to put some on the icecream..."

Alfred blinked several times, trying not to wrinkle his nose at the request. "Ah, 'course Artie! Just give me a sec!"

Arthur watched his mate disappear momentarily before reappearing, sundae bowl still in hand.

"Alrighty, here ya go~" Alfred surrendered the sundae and spoon over to his waiting Omega and walked over to crawl onto his side of the bed as Arthur started munching on the icecream.

"Mmm."

"Ya like it Artie~?"

Arthur nodded happily, lips already sticky with a pinkish gloss. "Thanks."

Alfred smiled and watched his mate devour the rest of the sundae, thankfully not mentioning the lack of anchovies.

"Do you want anything else?" The Alpha asked with a smile as Arthur licked the last of the remaining pink icecream off of his spoon, then licked his lips.

"Hmmm...scones...sound so good right now..." The Omega mumbled offhandedly, his eyes glazing over slightly like he was recalling a good memory. "I haven't had them in so long..."

Alfred paled slightly. _Scones? They definitely didn't have any scones handy- the only time they ever would was when Arthur made them...But he hadn't been allowed in the kitchen since he became pregnant...Which would mean..._

"You...want me to make scones...?" He couldn't help the slightly incredulous tone that came out of his mouth at the prospect.

Arthur snapped out of his trance at his mate's words. "Hm? Oh! No, no...I was just speaking hypothetically..."

Alfred didn't miss the slightly crestfallen look that had come over Arthur's face even as he declared that.

"I...can manager that much!" He protested automatically. His whole life's purpose was to make his Omega happy...even if it meant trying to make scones from scratch at 3 o'clock in the blessed morning.

The Brit's eyes widened instinctively. "You...don't have to go that far..." He shook his head with a sad smile. "I was just thinking about my mum...she made the best scones when I was younger..." Arthur's eyes clouded over sadly and a fresh wave of tears threatened to spill from the corners.

"Ah, no no! Artie, please don't cry baby~" Alfred soothed, scooting over on the bed to pull the teary Omega into his arms.

"Ah...I..I'm...s-sorry..." Arthur shook his head at scrubbed at his eyes. "I'm sorry...for being so e-emotional..."

"Don't be, it's not your fault~" The Alpha continued to coo, rubbing at his mate's back soothingly. After a moment of cuddling, Alfred had his mind made up- gently detangling himself from the Omega and crawling out of bed.

"Hmm, where are you going Al?"

Arthur struggled to prop his pregnant figure up against the frame of the bed as he watched Alfred climb out of bed and don his Superman slippers.

"I told ya, didn't I Artie?" Alfred grinned and grabbed a nearby sweatshirt to throw on for warmth. "I'm gonna make you the best scones you've ever tasted! Haha!"

The Brit quirked an eyebrow at the Alpha's unusual motivation. "Do you...even know _how_ to make scones...?"

"Of course!" Alfred smiled confidently.

 _Not_ he secretly added in his head.

"You just stay here in bed- do you wanna watch the TV?"

"Mmm, I suppose..." Arthur responded with a nod, adjusting his position to lay on his side.

The American turned on the television and turned the remote over to his mate before walking to the bedroom door. "Just holler if you need anything, ok~?"

Arthur actually cracked a small smile in return. "Alright, thanks..."

Alfred offered a grin of his own and bounded out of the bedroom, stopping once he had reached the kitchen.

"Fuck." He muttered quietly, scratching the back of his head.

 _How the heck am I supposed to actually make these scones? Think, think, think..._

The Alpha groaned quietly and whipped out his cellphone.

"Let's see...under the circumstances- " He scrolled through his contacts until he found the name he was looking for. "Alright~ And call..."

 _...Ring...Ring...Ring..._

"C'mon...pickup pickup..."

 _...Ri-_

 _"...Bonjour, Francis parlant~"_ A silky smooth voice suddenly answered the phone.

The American replied with a breath of relief. "Uh, Francis? It's me, Al!"

 _"Oh~? Alfred, to what do I owe ze pleasure~? It's quite early your time, non?"_

"Oh..weeeell, long story short- Arthur is craving scones really badly but I have no clue how to make them! I need some help quick so he doesn't go on an emotional hormone rampage!"

A barrage of laughter quickly filled the other side of the phone.

" _Francis_."

 _"Aha, sorry mon amie...I was just picturing that pompous clod going around and throwing a tantrum with how his large belly must be now."_

"Yeah, well..he only has another month or two to go- but save that for later! Can you help me or not?"

 _"Hmm~ But why did you seek my assistance?"_

"Cause you're a gourmet, Francis. I figured you'd be better to ask than anybody about food."

 _"Oui, this is true~ But big brother only cooks good food, I would never stoop so low as to make some of that absolute garbage English food, non!"_

Alfred let out a groan of frustration, to which Francis lightly chuckled.

 _"Have you actually tried making them yet? I don't think they're much different from your American biscuits."_

"Well, no I haven't exactly tried to make them yet...but I really don't want to screw them up! Arthur was talking about how his mom used to make them for him, and well, he sounded really homesick- so I'd hate to ruin his feelings on scones by making horrible ones!" Alfred stressed, holding his head in his hand.

Apparently that was enough to trigger some sympathy from the blonde.

 _"I'll tell you what, I have a friend that likes to dabble in international food, and I know he's been baking some British pâtisseries lately. He owes me a favor so I can call him up and ask him to make some for you~? I can special deliver them and have them there in...mmmm...an hour? Just distract Arthur until then, oui?"_

"Wait Francis- an hour?! How are you gonna- "

 _"Just put your faith in big brother, mon cher~ Au revoir~"_

"Francis! Hey, wai-" ' _Click_ '

Alfred stared down at his cellphone in disbelief.

 _Francis is gonna send scones over?! How?! I thought he was in France right now- there's no way he can get scones made and sent over here in that short of time- special delivery or not!_

The American groaned and paced small circles in the kitchen.

 _On another note, what am I supposed to tell Artie? I've only been out here for about 10 minutes- will he even buy it if I say that the scones are already done and they're in the oven? Mmmmmmmm..._

Left with ultimately no choice, Alfred decided that he might as well give it a shot and head back to the bedroom.

Upon re-entering the bedroom, the Alpha was met with the sight of his beautiful, pregnant Omega mate curled up on his side in the bed- stroking his large stomach softly as he watched the television.

"Ah, Al you're back! Come and watch with me~" Arthur crooned, reaching a hand out towards the Alpha and doing grabby hands.

Alfred was used to the extreme and sudden moods swings that Arthur displayed over the course of his pregnancy, but it had been a while since he had seen the Omega in a more cheerful state. The best he usually got these days were a neutral calm, basically just getting by without crying or yelling.

He was thrilled, to say the least, and quickly made his way over to his side of the bed and laid down- glancing up at the TV screen with a grin.

" _The Lion King_ , eh?"

Arthur grinned back, squirming closer to the American to rest against his chest. "I felt like watching something childish."

Alfred made no comment other than wrapping an arm around the Brit's shoulders.

 _He seems to be doing quite a lot of reminiscing these days...Is it just nostalgia because of the pregnancy? Oh, speaking of that..._

"Ah, the scones are in the oven~ They should be done and cooled in about an hour. Sorry, I know it's a while, but..."

"Don't worry, I know that scones take time to make, that's why I said you didn't have to make them...But- " Arthur closed his eyes and snuggled into his mate's chest- beaming ear to ear. "I'm sort of glad to you were willing to go so far for me~"

The American gulped and closed his eyes guiltily. "O-of course Artie, you know that I'd do anything for you!" _I'm gonna be so dead if he finds out..._

"Mmhmm, I do~" The Brit opened his eyes and glanced up to meet Alfred's. "So I'm sure you made them with looots of love, right?"

"Y-yep! They were definitely made with tons of love!" _Shiiiiiiiiitttt_

Alfred closed his eyes again and prayed that by some sort of miracle Francis would pull through and get the scones delivered on time.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, I was feeling extremely motivated this week, so here's another chapter~**

 **Remember, if you like what you see the best thing for you to do is leave a comment and let me know~!**

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

 ** _How to Take Care of Your Pregnant Omega: Chapter 1 - Food Cravings: Part 2_**

 _Mood Swings_

Now that we've gone over the basics of the changes that you should expect to see in your Omega partner's diet during their pregnancy, we'll now talk about some other external factors that can also play into how your Omega's emotions affect their dietary behavior.

Faced with these delicate stages of pregnancy, it's understandable to realize that your Omega mate will go through many, _many_ different changes in mood and emotion- often completely randomly and without any warning. If you start to take note of the different emotions that your mate displays, and then try and note some of their key dietary behaviors depending on that emotion, you'll often find a pattern that will clue you in on the types and amount of food that your Omega will want to consume.

Take, for example, a situation where your mate suddenly becomes distressed by something (a sad movie, recalling a childhood memory). A sudden mood swing like this will often trigger immediate food cravings- and in many researched cases- warm, nostalgic foods have been proven to be the most effective in curbing the Omega's cravings as well as boosting their mood. If you know some of the things that they liked to eat during their childhood, try one of those foods first. If not, your best bet will be either a food that they've had a more recent affinity for, or just some good, hot comfort food.

In another example, say, where you may have incidentally done something that flipped the anger switch in your mate, (try not to feel too bad about it, chances are it probably wasn't _completely_ your fault) you may want to try giving your Omega something sweet and sugar filled. Studies have found that Omegas tend to crave sweet and sugary things when their mood starts to turn sour- so next time try feeding them some fruit, ice cream, or one of their favorite pastries.

Each Omega is different when it comes to the frequency, duration and types of mood swings that they face. These tips will help you to get an idea of how to approach dealing with your mate's capricious behavior, but only time and experience will be able to help you with the rest.

No matter what- when you're trying to help your Omega, just remember this;

An Omega puts their complete trust and self in the care of their Alpha mate- so it's your job as their protecting partner to give them the love and patience that they need and deserve. Your Omega can't help the changes that they're going through- but you can help make it easier on them by giving them nothing less than your full attention and care.

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

"Are you feeling a little bit better, baby?" Alfred questioned softly as he glanced down at his pregnant mate.

Arthur was propped up on his side in their giant king-sized bed, resting his head against Alfred's chest and snuggling the Alpha closely to his body. They were still watching _The Lion King_ on their television, as watching childish movies seemed to cheer up the Omega's mood immensely.

Arthur turned his attention away from the TV screen at the sound of his mate's voice, staring up at the American's blue eyes.

"Yes, I'm feeling loads better after getting something to eat and lying here for a bit." The Brit responded with a gentle smile.

Alfred returned the expression gratefully and dipped his head down to drop a kiss onto the blonde's forehead. "I'm glad..."

The Brit hummed appreciatively at the affection before furrowing his brow guiltily. "I'm sorry about earlier too...I really didn't mean to blow up at you when you woke up- I was just feeling anxious and...I let my emotions get the better of me when you didn't wake up right away..."

Alfred shook his head quickly, pulling his mate close to his chest. "No, I'm the one that should apologize, Iggy...I know the pregnancy is taking a huge tole on you- both physically and mentally...I know that I need to try and be more sensitive to your needs- so don't feel like you ever have to apologize..."

Arthur smiled and nodded into the American's chest as the Alpha began to stroke his back soothingly.

"You're not feeling tired, though? I'm fine if you want to stay up, but I don't want you to overexert yourself..." Alfred murmured concernedly.

The Omega shook his head and snuggled it sweetly against his mate's sweatshirt-covered chest.

"No...I had a nap for most of the afternoon, so I was hardly even tired when we turned into bed...I think that may have been why I woke up so early now with bad cravings...Usually if I eat enough during the day I can make it through the night until around 6 AM..."

Alfred hummed and nodded his head in agreement. "It's my fault, I should've been keeping better track with what you were eating throughout the day. Your blood sugar is probably low, so I'm sure it played a factor in inducing your cravings..."

"Haha, what's with you acting so responsible and intelligent all of a sudden?" Arthur murmured endearingly, reaching for his mate's hand and threading their fingers together.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I always try to be responsible and intelligent!" The Alpha pouted back indignantly.

"Sure, sure..."

Their playful banter soon lapsed into a comfortable silence- and they remained in each others arms, cuddling each other closely as they continued to watch their movie.

After a few moments of watching, Alfred shifted his gaze from the television screen and craned his neck up to look at the clock on their bedroom wall.

 _4:10 AM_

 _Let's see...I called Francis at just after 3 o'clock, and he said he would get those scones delivered in an hour...It's been about that time- I wonder if I should call and check in or not.._

As the American debated with himself in his head, he suddenly felt buzzing coming from somewhere in his pocket.

"Hmm? What's that..?" Arthur mumbled in confusion, glancing around for the source of the noise.

"Oh, I think it's my cellphone..." Alfred replied with a slight frown, untangling his fingers from his mate's and fishing through his pocket until he had pulled out the offending item.

The Alpha brought the screen up to his face and squinted at the bright light that it emanated in the darkness.

 _ **1 Missed Call: Caller ID - Francis Bonefoy**_

"Ah...missed it..." He muttered to himself.

"Hm? Who was it Al?" The Omega asked with a curious glance up at his mate.

"Oh...I think it was Kiku...You know how he is when he calls...he must not've been paying attention to the time difference, haha."

Arthur nodded his head in understanding at the explanation and settled his head back on top of Alfred's chest, eyes glazed over as he watched the TV screen.

 _Phew, that was a close one...It's not like it's that big a deal if Iggy finds out that Francis called me...but based on the slightly strained relationship the two have...I'd rather he not know and stay in a good mood with me~_

His treasonous phone however, chose that moment to start vibrating again, and Alfred glared down at it with an expression that suggested he was thinking of introducing it to a lighter.

 _Dammit Francis, Arthur is finally in a good mood and being all clingy and cute- and you're gonna make me get out of bed and go talk with you?! Ughhhh..._

"I'm sorry baby, I'm gonna go talk to him and see what's going on." The American finally relented with a small sigh, patting Arthur's back gently to signal that he was going to get up.

Arthur, however, had different plans.

"Aw, don't go now~ You can talk to him later- stay with me and let's finish the movie~" The Brit pouted cutely, wrapping his arm across his mate's stomach and hugging to keep him from moving.

Alfred's heart melted instantly, and his resolve was firm. No one in heaven or hell was gonna be able to convince him to move from the bed at that moment.

"Ugh, I love you Iggy..." He murmured sweetly, returning his mate's hug and placing an affectionate kiss on top of the blonde's mop of hair.

"Hehe, me too.." The Omega whispered in reply.

With the two of them lay in bed hugging, Alfred was able to click on his cellphone and start typing a text out to Francis.

 **New Text Message: Recipient(s);**

[' _Francis Bonefoy_ ']

 _ **Alfred:** Hey Francis IM sorry I missed ur calls. Iggy has me in death grip in bed and hes gonna HAve a fit if I leave 2 talk 2 U_

Even he winced slightly at the grammar and punctuation (or lack there of) as he re-read the message before sending it. He wasn't the type of person to tap out messages in full length sentences with perfect punctuation and proper grammar like Arthur did, but even he had to admit that the message was a bit sloppy.

 _Oh well, I can't exactly help it right now. I'm only typing with one hand and Arthur's laying on my arm so it's basically numb...Whatever, this will have to do.._

 ** _[SEND]_**

Alfred relaxed his arm holding the cellphone and focused back on the movie while he waited for a response. He made sure to turn the vibration off so his mate would be none the wiser- he just had to wait until he saw the screen light up to confirm that a text had come.

The American waited no longer than 30 seconds before the screen of his phone lit up- and he hurriedly unlocked it to check the message.

 ** _4 New Messages_**

 _ **Alfred:** Hey Francis IM sorry I missed ur calls. Iggy has me in death grip in bed and hes gonna HAve a fit if I leave 2 talk 2 U_

 _•Francis: ..._

 _•Francis: Alfred, mon amie...your grammar is très mauvais..._

 _•Francis: I shall forgive you this once...but I'm not sure I want to know what a 'death grip' is...knowing that tea-loving clod, I'm sure it's painful... My condolences_

 _•Francis: Anyways, I was trying to call and tell you that the scones are done. I have them here with me and they actually smell très magnifique~ Do you want me to drop them by your house?_

Alfred read the messages quickly and bit his lip in thought, glancing down at his mate. Thankfully Arthur was still fixated to the TV, his eyes glassy as he stared at the screen- so the Alpha went un-noticed as he tapped a reply back to his blonde friend.

 _ **Alfred:** Idk if U should come over. Don't want Artie upset. Maybe We can meet sm whre? Not sure if I shoud leaf him that long tho._

 ** _[SEND]_**

This time the reply was almost instantaneous.

 _ **Francis:** Oui, this is true... Is there a convenience store or gas station nearby? _

_**Francis:** Hmmm...Or I could just bring them to you outside your house...Why don't I text you when I pull up, non? Just tell Arthur that you're going to the kitchen quick, then come outside and get them from me._

 _ **Alfred:** tht might work. ETA?_

 _ **Francis:** I'm already in town so I should be there in less than 3 minutes_

 _Alfred: kk. C U soon then_

 _ **Francis:** Oui_

Alfred set his phone down and leaned back against his pillow with a slight sigh of relief.

 _Alright~! Francis will be here soon and then Artie will love me even more because of the scones that I'll give him!_

Beside him Arthur shifted slightly, rubbing his belly with the hand that wasn't looped around Alfred's waist.

"Ya alright Artie?"

"Mm? Ah, Yeah I'm fine...I think I'm gonna go to the bathroom..." Arthur replied with a slight strain in his voice as he struggled to sit up in bed. Alfred offered a hand of support on the Omega's back to guide him up and out of the bed before Arthur lightly brushed his mate's hands off.

"I'm fine, I can get there myself."

"You sure? I don't mind..."

"No no, I'm alright..." Arthur replied stubbornly, bracing one hand against his back and the other on the wall as he waddled into their master bathroom.

Alfred watched in slight concern, but did as his mate bid and let the Omega go by himself.

Just as the Alpha was growing weary of leaving his Omega by himself for so long, he saw the screen of his cell phone once again light up.

 _ **Francis:** I'm out front._

 _ **Alfred:** Alright just give me a min_

The Alpha sent his reply back and hopped out of bed, craning his neck toward the bathroom.

"Iggy? You still doing alright?"

"...Just superb, darling..." Came the slightly dry reply, and Alfred couldn't help but snigger.

"Alright baby, I'm gonna go to the kitchen so holler if you need me, 'kay?"

"...Got it."

With that Alfred quickly bounded out of the room and straight for their front door- where, sure enough upon opening, revealed a handsome looking blonde male leaning against the hood of a shiny black Porsche, box in hand.

"Geez Francis, can't you drive something less... _conspicuous_...?" The American groaned as he padded barefoot out the door and onto the front porch where the man strolled to meet him.

"Here I am going out of my way at the crack of dawn to pull favors for you, and the first thing you do is complain about my vehicle?" Francis responded with an unimpressed quirk of his brow.

Alfred cringed and shook his head quickly, backtracking to damage control. "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant." He bowed his head low. "Thank you so much for bringing these Francis, you're a lifesaver."

Apparently the change in attitude appeased to the blonde, who tossed his long blonde hair with an elegant smile. "Ah, well that's what big brother is here for, _non_?" He extended the box forward for Alfred to take.

"Ah, seriously thanks Francis." Alfred responded seriously, holding the box as if it were made of gold. "But how come you're here in the States? I thought you were back home in Paris?"

Francis smirked mischievously and dropped a flirty wink. "I'll save that story for our get together tomorrow, _Oui_?"

"Get...together...?"

"My payment for helping your sorry butt. Just text me the time and I'll be here. Now I better get going... _Au revoir, mon amie_ ~! I look forward to our tea tomorrow~"

"Ah...yeah..." Alfred waved in a slightly stunned matter as Francis blew a kiss and got in his car, pulling out of the driveway and speeding away.

 _Whatever, never mind him~! I gotta get them scones in and ready for Artie~_

The Alpha nearly skipped up the front steps and back into the house, closing the door securely behind him. He went straight to the kitchen and quickly removed all of the scones from the pink pastry box that they were placed in- making sure to fold the box and hide it behind the garbage can so his mate wouldn't find it.

"Now let's see...some jam and clotted cream..." Alfred hummed happily as he prepared a plate of several scones, placing some small dishes filled with the pre-mentioned toppings alongside a small knife to spread them with.

 _Ah.. he's gonna be so happy~_

Alfred strode into the master bathroom happily, carrying the tray that he had prepared with the utmost delicacy.

"Iggy? You still in the bathroom?"

"Eh? Oh, I'm right here." Arthur replied as he just strode out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom, wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve.

"Look what I got~" The Alpha sing-singed happily, unable to control his happiness as he presented the tray to his mate.

Arthur's eyes went wide at the attempted-fancy presentation of scones, and he couldn't hold the tears that came to them as he was hit with an immediate rush of nostalgia.

"A-Ah, Al...I can't believe you...they look amazing..." The Omega gushed through damp eyes.

The amount of pride and happiness that Alfred felt overshadowed the slight guilt he felt at partially deceiving his mate, and he quickly gestured for Arthur to sit back down on the bed.

"Try one?"

"Hehe, of course Al..."

Arthur perched himself on the edge of the bed and watched his mate prepare a scone for him.

"Here you go~" Alfred beamed, handing over a scone topped with some jam and cream to his mate.

The Omega brought the scone to his mouth, taking a bite. It tasted _amazing_ , but he nearly groaned as he felt the tell tale sign of nausea start creeping into his stomach. He swallowed and the small feeling turned into an immense wave of nausea as it suddenly fill his stomach and throat.

 _Oh no...c'mon don't be sick, don't be sick..._

Arthur chanted in his head, willing his body to overcome the feeling of wanting to throw up as he took another bite of the scone.

 _That's it...If I throw up now I'm gonna make Al feel horrible..._

Arthur swallowed the second bite, but his body wouldn't be so cooperative. Still he willed himself to keep from throwing up and instead clamped a hand firmly over his mouth, breathing deeply through his nose as he felt his mouth water with the feeling of bile rising in his throat.

"Hey, Iggy...You okay?" Alfred asked in concern, placing the tray on the bed and bending down to peer at the Omega's pale face.

 _Dammit_ Arthur jumped up from the bed and ran to the bathroom, falling on his knees in front of the toilet and wretching fiercely.

"Ah, Artie..." Alfred immediately leapt off of the bed and dashed into the bathroom, watching painfully as his mate threw up the remains of the food he had consumed over the course of the last hour. He walked over to the sink and quickly filled a glass with water, bringing it over to his mate.

"Here you go, baby." The Alpha soothed, helping his mate drink some of the water and rubbing his back soothingly.

Arthur spit some of the water back out into the toilet, coughing as his throat stung and tears welled up in his eyes.

"It's alright~" Alfred rubbed the Omega's back as he coughed a few more times.

"Wah...I-I'm s-sorry..Al..." Arthur sobbed as waterfalls of tears poured out of his eyes and cascaded down his cheeks.

"What are _you_ apologizing for? I'm sorry that you got sick."

"B-but...y-you made me s-scones...and I wanted to...eat t-them e-earlier...b-but now my stupid m-morning sickness...wah.." The Brit continued to sob, holding his hands up to his eyes in distress.

Alfred gently smoothed Arthur's damp bangs away from his sticky forehead and placed a soft kiss there, pulling back and gently pulling the Omegas hands away from his face.

"Don't worry about a thing Iggy...The scones will still be there in the morning if you decide that you feel up to eating them again...Everything'll be just fine..."

The Alpha leaned forwards and brushed his fingers to sweep away a few lingering tears on the Omega's cheeks. "Do you wanna go back to bed?"

Arthur hiccuped with a nod and let himself be scooped up into his mate's strong arms. Alfred carried him bridal style into the bedroom, then placed him softly onto the bed and adjusted the pillows and blankets to support and swaddle the Omega's pregnant form before crawling in to his side of the bed.

Alfred immediately pulled the Omega into his warm embrace, stroking the Brit's blonde hair softly with one hand, and rubbing his slim back with the other.

"Do you think you can sleep now?" The American whispered gently.

Arthur glanced up at his mate with big, teary eyes- nodding his head affirmatively despite the tears slowly escaping his eyes and trickling down his face.

"Everything is gonna be ok, baby." Alfred soothed, and Arthur soon found himself lulled to sleep by the comforting, sweet as honey words whispered to him.

Just like that, he was fast asleep in the world of dreamland.

 ** _To Be Continued..._**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys~ Are you ready for the next chapter?**

 **Sorry that the updates are getting slower now. I'm gonna try to keep them to about every other week if I can help it, but I know I'm gonna be a lot busier starting next week!**

 **So without any further ado, here's the new chapter~!**

 **And as always; if you like what you see- leave a comment~**

 ***Edit: Sorry If you guys had troubles reading this chapter. There was an error when I tried to post it, so I had to take it down and post it again. Hopefully it should be alright now~!**

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

 ** _How to Take Care of Your Pregnant Omega: Chapter 2 - Pheromones_**

 _The Different Types of Pheromones (Alpha)_

When you were blood tested as a child and had your status of Alpha determined, you should have been thoroughly informed about what it truly means to be an Alpha- and what the defining traits of an Alpha are. One of the key factors that makes up the quintessence of an Alpha is their ability to emit unique pheromones. Omegas are also able to emit pheromones, but we'll discuss their different attributes in the next chapter.

For an un-mated Alpha, pheromones exist solely for the purpose of finding a mate- though they can be used against others as a form of self-defense and intimidation in the cases of stronger Alphas. As an Alpha is searching for their destined mate, they will emit these sweet smelling pheromones as a way to attract their mate to themselves. Though many Omegas will find the scent of an Alpha's pheromones to be exquisite smelling, an Alpha will only find the scent of their destined Omega to be appealing. For these reasons, many Alphas prefer not to be in the company of many other Omegas for long periods of time- if at all, when searching for their partner.

Once an Alpha has found their destined Omega and mated with them, however, an Alpha's pheromones and the way that they perceive other's will change.

A mated Alpha's pheromones are much more diverse than before. They can now be used in many numerous ways- most importantly in regards to protecting and soothing their mate. In any situation where an Alpha's partner becomes anxious or upset, a certain set of pheromones can be released by the Alpha to help reassure and calm down the Omega- offering a sensation similar to being held to calm their heart rate and soothe them.

In other instances where an Alpha feels that their mate is being threatened, another Alpha is too close to their mate, or they simply get possessive over their mate around others, the Alpha can emit a protective pheromone- similar to one that would've intimidated others before- but now much more powerful and effective. Any person- Alpha, Omega, or Beta- that smells the pheromones will immediately feel an extreme sense of fear, and in the cases of more powerful pheromones, potential temporary paralysis.

All of these types of pheromones are crucial for an Alpha to be able to protect their mate, and are proven to be much stronger when an Alpha's mate is pregnant- and the Alpha is even more protective and possessive over them than usual.

Though you are within your rights to feel as protective and possessive over your mate as need be- as well as to use the pheromones that you have to ensure their safety- just remember to use them in moderation, lest your mate become angry at you for scaring their friends away with your overprotective pheromones!

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

 _Buzz...Buzzz...Buzzzzz..._

 _...Buzzz...Buzzzzzzz..._

"...Mmm...Man, what is it...?..."

Alfred awoke with an exhausted groan as he felt an insistent vibration coming from somewhere underneath his pillow. He closed his eyes again and blindly rustled around until his fingers closed around the smooth coolness of his cellphone.

With a groggy yawn he pulled it out of its hiding place and brought it to his face, squinting through bleary eyes to make out the text on the screen.

 ** _10 New Messages_**

 _ **•Francis:** Bonjour, Alfred! I am awaiting your invitation to tea~ Just tell me when and I'll be over there! **(6:30 AM)**_

 _ **•Francis:** Alfred, mon amie...you did not forget what I said last night did you? You are supposed to invite me over... **(7:00 AM)**_

 _ **•Francis:** Wait... **(7:30 AM)**_

 _ **•Francis:** You are not still sleeping on this glorious Sunday, are you?! **(7:31 AM)**_

 _ **•Francis:** Sérieusement... **(7:31 AM)**_

 _ **•Francis:** That's fine then, just text me when you are awake then... **(7:32 AM)**_

 _ **•Francis:** Alfred, I've waited long enough! **(11:07 AM)**_

 _ **•Francis:** I'm inviting myself over. **(11:07 AM)**_

 _ **•Francis:** I'll be over at your place at Noon, so you'd better be up and ready mon amie... **(11:07 AM)**_

 _ **•Francis:** I'm serious Alfred. Noon. Au Revoir. **(11:08 AM)**_

Alfred groaned quietly as he read the massive string of texts that Francis had fired off to him throughout the course of the morning.

 _France, you ruddy bastard...I just went to bed at 5:00 o'clock..._

A quick glance at the clock over top of his phone confirmed his dread.

 _It's already 11:10...That means Francis is gonna be here in less than an hour?!_

The Alpha lifted his head and glanced down at the blonde mop of hair resting contentedly against his chest. He really, _really_ didn't want to wake up Arthur. The Brit was cranky enough in the mornings when he slept a full 10 hours- let alone a night like the one they had last night where neither actually fell asleep until the wee hours of the morning.

 _His morning sickness was acting up last night, too. I don't wanna wake him up to have tea and then have him get sick if he tries to eat again...And then when he finds out that it's Francis that's gonna be here..._

Alfred raked his unoccupied hand through his sandy brown hair with a deep sigh. There was no way he was gonna be able to change Francis' mind about coming over, either. Even if he explained that Arthur was sick, Francis would still barge his way in...

His frantic musings drew short when he felt his mate shifting against him and saw large, green eyes blink their way open sleepily.

"Are you awake, Iggy?" Alfred cooed softly, brushing the Omega's bangs back slightly to place a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"Mmm...getting there..." Arthur replied back with a sleepy yawn, reaching a hand up to rub at his eyes cutely. "It doesn't feel like we slept for very long..."

Alfred hummed in agreement, stroking fingers through his mate's hair. "Probably only 5 or 6 hours...You can sleep a little longer if you want~ "

The Brit contemplated the offer. "Mmm, that's alright...I think if I sleep any longer now my sleep schedule will be even further off than it already is. I can't believe that there used to be a time when I could live off of 3 hours of sleep and wake up at 6 AM every morning..."

The Alpha chuckled and stroked Arthur's back lovingly. "It's alright, love~ Your body is just adjusting with having a baby inside of it...It's perfectly normal to need to sleep longer because of all the stress and toll that's being put on your body."

"Well, even so..." Arthur trailed off with a slight grumble, yawning despite his obvious attempts to keep from doing so.

Alfred grinned at his mate's stubbornness. _Well, it doesn't seem like Artie is in a bad mood...Maybe I'll try asking him about having Francis over..._

"So Artie, I was thinking..."

"Mmhmm...?"

"Would you...feel like having...a visitor today...?"

"Visitor?" Arthur frowned slightly as he snuggled further against his mate's chest. "Like who?"

"Oh, well..." Alfred held his breath and then hesitated. "...You know, I wasn't quite sure yet...just asking if you were up for some company if anybody happened to be in town..."

"Mmm..." The Omega hummed and nodded his head slightly. "I don't think I would be opposed to it...but you know the chances of one of our friends being here in the states is slim, right?"

Alfred nodded with a barely-restrained grimace and laughed for cover. "Well, even so! I was thinking it would be fun to meet up with Mattie sometime soon~ He's the closest to us distance-wise, so it'd probably only take him less than day to come down and see us!"

Arthur smiled and nodded his head happily. "Yes, I would love to see Matthew again soon...it feels like so long since we last saw him...Ah- you'll have to tell him to bring some of those delicious caramels that he brought last time he visited..."

"Ah, yeah I will- Hey! Be careful Artie!" Alfred sprung forwards and helped support the pregnant Omega as he suddenly struggled to push himself up and out of bed.

Arthur grimaced and rubbed his back gingerly as he stood up, grabbing onto his mate's shoulder for support. "Ah, my bloody joints are killing me..."

"Why don't you take a nice relaxing bath, hmm? That should help to soothe your muscles and joints a bit..." The Alpha suggested as he scooped his pregnant mate up into his arms and started to carry him to the bathroom.

"Mmm, a bath does sound nice..." Arthur agreed.

Alfred walked into the large bathroom and placed his mate on a nearby chair while he prepared the water for the bath. "Do you want some oils in it? How about lavender and eucalyptus?"

Arthur nodded his head with a hum, and Alfred poured a generous amount of the oils into the steaming water.

"Alright...Here, let me help you get in..." He reached forwards and helped Arthur strip the oversized sweatshirt from over his head, then tugged down the Brit's boxers with a quick jerk.

"Ah, Hey!" Arthur flushed at being exposed so suddenly, and smacked Alfred's arm with a scowl. "I can take them off myself..."

Alfred chuckled and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Oh come on, it's not like it's something I haven't seen a million times..."

" _You_..."

"Alright, _alright_ , I'm sorry!" The America apologized with a bout of laughter as Arthur smacked him, red-faced, once more on the arm.

"Bloody prick..."

Once Arthur was situated in the bathtub- and Alfred's offer to join the Omega in said tub had been thoroughly rebuffed (several times, and with _much_ force), Alfred finally left his mate in the bathroom and stalked out to the kitchen to complete his next order of business- calling Francis.

"Alright...It's 11:30 right now...I gotta postpone him until at least 12:30 so that I can get Arthur bathed and in a good mood..."

Alfred groaned slightly and pulled out his cellphone, punching in Francis' number.

 _...Ring...Ring...Ring...Rin-_

 _"Ah, Alfred mon cher~ So nice of you to call hours after I texted you this morning, haha..."_ Francis' airy tone answered the phone, and Alfred could tell immediately from his laughter that he was going into passive-aggressive mode after not being answered.

"Ah c'mon Francis, cut me some slack. You know that I didn't get to sleep until early into the morning- so how come you were texting that early..." Alfred pouted back, trying to arouse _some_ kind of sympathy from the older male.

 _"Yes yes, I know...So I suspect that the reason you are calling is to offer your condolences to me and extend a proper invitation my way, non~? You know that will not take no for an answer, Oui?"_

Alfred exhaled in slight exasperation. "Yes Francis, I'm sorry for not answering your texts this morning, and I really do want you to come over, _but_..."

 _"...But?"_

"I need to push the time back a little- at least till 12:30..."

Francis made a grumbling sound of discontent on the other end of the line. " _And why, mon cher, do we need to do that?"_

"Well, you know that Arthur probably isn't gonna take this whole meeting super well, so I figured I would give him a little bit longer to get up and ready for the day before you come over and put him in a bad mood..."

 _"Hmph. Let me just say that I am offended, Alfred..."_

"Well, you know that's what's gonna happen, anyways..." Alfred mumbled petulantly in return.

 _"...Fine. I will postpone my arrival..."_ Francis huffed dramatically, then paused and started to mumble as if talking to someone next to him. " _Oui...Apparently we'll go a bit later..."_

 _"Ah~ But I want to go over there now~!" The voice whined back cutely._

 _"...Haha, I know, mon cher~..."_

"Uh, Francis...?"

 _"Oui?- Oh! Do not worry mon amie- 12:30, I'll be there. Text me again if you need anything before I arrive."_

"Oh, uh...Alright...See ya then..."

 _"Au revoir~"_

Alfred hung up the phone with a slight frown on his face.

 _I wonder who Francis was talking to...I could barely make out the voice, but it sounded vaguely familiar..._

"Oh well, maybe it's nothing...I should go check on Arthur..."

The Alpha strode towards their master bedroom, idly pushing his cellphone back into the pocket of his sweatpants as he entered the room.

He stopped suddenly though when he noticed his mate in the room- laying bathrobe-clad on his back on their bed, and staring blankly up at the ceiling.

"Uh...Iggy...?" He asked with a cock of his head. "What're you doing?"

Arthur remained motionless, slowly opening his lips. "Contemplating how fat I am..."

Alfred frowned and moved closer to the bed, perching lightly on the edge next to his mate.

"You're not fat, you're pregnant."

"But I'm still fat..."

"Artie...how else is our beautiful baby gonna grow in your tummy if it doesn't get a little bit bigger?"

"But none of my clothes fit!" Arthur protested indignantly, finally moving his head to throw the American an exasperated look.

"We'll buy you some new clothes, love~" Alfred consoled easily, reaching a hand out to gently stroke the Omega's swollen stomach. "Has the baby been moving?"

Arthur grimaced and pushed himself into a sitting position slowly, heaving with the effort. "Ah, a bit...it was kicking quite a bit, earlier..."

The Alpha smiled tenderly and leaned over to place a lingering kiss on his mate's stomach. "I see...Why don't we get you dressed in something comfy- then we can lounge and watch some TV for a bit, alright~?"

The Brit pursed his lips slightly, but nodded in agreement- reaching his arms out childishly to be dressed. Alfred chuckled and went to their shared dresser, rummaging around until he emerged with a faded T-shirt and one of his own baggier sweatshirts. As Arthur had complained, he didn't fit into a lot of his own clothes anymore- and though Alfred wasn't much larger than the Omega, Arthur had taken to wearing many of the Alpha's larger sweatshirts more recently.

Alfred brought the clothes back over and helped his mate into the T-shirt before slipping the sweatshirt over his head and arms. As he turned back to the dresser to find a pair of boxers and pants for his mate, Alfred caught a glimpse of Arthur wrapping his arms around his large stomach, and inhaling the scent of the sweatshirt with a relaxed sigh.

The Alpha smirked to himself and tossed a pair of boxers onto the bed next to Arthur before turning back to the dresser once again.

Though Arthur probably wouldn't admit it, Alfred knew that the real reason why Arthur liked wearing the his sweatshirts so much was because of the lingering scent of his pheromones in the fabric. The scent of an Alpha's pheromones are soft and comforting to their Omega mate, and help to relax and put them at ease- especially when the Alpha is away from them and they're more anxious than usual. Alfred hardly ever let Arthur away from his side, (he had gotten an early paternity leave from his job, so he was able to stay home at all times with his pregnant mate) but he knew that Arthur still liked to be surrounded by his scent- which Alfred had absolutely no problem with.

"So Artie..." The Alpha began once he had finished dressing the Omega, and the two were snuggled on the bed.

"Yes?"

"Member I asked you earlier about having a visitor over...?"

"Mmhmm~"

"Well..." Alfred hesitated slightly. "...Francis texted me saying that he was in town..."

Arthur scowled. "That frog face? Why in the world would I want him over at our house?"

The Alpha grimaced and shook his head, internally cringing. "Well, yeah...I thought so too...but I thought you might want some other company...you haven't really gotten out of the house for a week...so I thought you might enjoy talking to somebody else...?"

Arthur paused and frowned in thought. "I don't know...All he wants to do when we see each other is fight, and I'm not in the mood to exhaust myself."

Alfred nodded and pursed his lips in thought. "Of course not, but...He promised me that he would be on his best behavior if he came..."

"Hmmm..." Arthur absentmindedly rubbed his large stomach as he scrunched his nose in thought.

"I promise, if he does or says anything that offends you, I'll send him home immediately." Alfred persuaded, and the Omega finally let out a small huff.

"Alright, fine- he can come. But tell him he has to bring me some pastries!" The Brit begrudgingly relented, grumbling slightly as he snuggled closer to his mate.

"Of course Iggy~" Alfred wrapped his arm around Arthur's shoulders with a small chuckle, pulling his phone out behind the Omega's back.

 _Well, guess I gotta text Francis again...let's see..._

 **New Text Message: Recipient(s) -** [ _Francis Bonefoy_ ]

 _ **Alfred:** Francis, I talked to Arthur and he said he's fine with you coming over...he wants some pastries as compensation tho..._

 ** _[SEND]_**

Alfred relaxed back against the pillows on the bed with a slight sigh and idly glanced up at the clock on their bedroom wall. _12:00 o'clock._

"Is something wrong, Al?" Arthur suddenly asked, glancing up at the American with a slight frown on his face.

"Hm? Oh! No no, nothing's wrong- why do you ask?"

"You were spacing out and staring a hole into the wall...and you were sighing like you were upset..." The Omega replied with an expression of concern.

Alfred smiled and nuzzled his mate's cheek affectionately. "Sorry to worry you- nothing's wrong, really~" He sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm just hoping that this meeting with Francis goes well...I don't want you to get stressed out or upset, so I'm hoping that he'll be on his best behavior..."

Arthur hummed and nodded in response. "What time did you tell him to come over at?"

"I told him 12:30 at the earliest...Oh, I think that's him now..."

Alfred pulled his vibrating cellphone out of his pants pocket and unlocked it, glancing at the new messages.

 ** _3 New Messages_**

 _ **Alfred:** Francis, I talked to Arthur and he said he's fine with you coming over...he wants some pastries as compensation tho..._

 _ **•Francis:** Oh did he~? Merveilleux~_

 _ **•Francis:** And do not worry, I was already planning on bringing some pastries regardless~ A proper guest never arrives without a gift, Oui?_

 _ **•Francis:** Oh- and when are we to arrive? Around 12:30 you said, non?_

Alfred tapped back a quick reply.

 _ **Alfred:** thanks Francis, you're a life saver_

 _ **Alfred:** And yeah, I think 12:30 will be fine_

He placed his cellphone on the bed and moved his hand to play with Arthur's hair.

"He said they'll be coming over at 12:30."

" _They_?" Arthur inquired with a puzzled frown.

"... _They_? Where did I get that from? Did he say _we_ in his text?" Alfred mirrored the Brit's frown as he reached for his cellphone again, scrolling through the texts Francis had sent.

"...and when are _we_ to arrive...?" He mumbled out loud as he read the text once again. "He definitely said _we_ in this text...But he never mentioned that he was bringing anybody else?"

"Maybe it was a typo?" Arthur commented somewhat doubtfully.

"Hmm...maybe, but..."

"But?"

Alfred frowned and cocked his head to the side in thought. "I'm pretty sure I heard Francis talking to somebody next to him when I was on the phone with him.."

"Oh?" Arthur hummed offhandedly, redirecting his gaze lazily to the television screen where some kind of cooking show was playing. "I suppose we'll just have to see when he comes, right?"

"Yeah, I suppose so..."

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

"Alright, it's 12:52- where in the bloody hell is that ruddy bastard?!" Arthur screeched angrily, pacing around their living room with a murderous look in his emerald eyes. Alfred trailed after his mate cautiously, trying to contain the Omega's outbursts of rage before he wore himself out, or worse- broke down and started bawling.

"Arthur, honey...don't be like that~ Maybe Francis got stuck in some bad traffic~" Alfred reasoned soothingly. He carefully reached an arm out and rubbed Arthur's back gently. "It'll be alright, I'm sure he'll be here soon~ Why don't we just sit down and I'll make you a nice cup of tea, ok?"

"If you tell a person to come at a certain time, then they should come at a certain time! Why does that frog faced bastard just think that everything revolves around him?!" Arthur continued to rant, ignoring his mate in favor of venting his obvious anger at the man.

Alfred grimaced as another eloquent string of cuss words left the Omega's mouth.

"Iggy...you really shouldn't swear so much in front of the baby..."

Arthur gave a final grumble of frustration and sunk down onto the couch with an exhausted sigh. "...I'm sorry Al..."

"It's alright baby." Alfred cooed softly, perching on the arm of the couch and stroking his mate's hair gently. Arthur sighed and leaned into the touch, closing his eyes and savoring in the feel of the Alpha's large hands combing through his fine hair.

 _Ding~Dong!...Ding~Dong!_

"Hm? Wha's that?" Arthur grumbled, opening his eyes and glaring around irritably.

"Ah, the doorbell..." Alfred responded quickly, jumping up from his spot on the couch and dashing to the front door. Arthur leaned forward to gaze around the corner just as the American opened up the door with a grin.

"Hey Francis, how are you?" Alfred greeted, opening the door wider and gesturing the older male inside.

"Ah, Alfred~ _Je vais bien_!" Francis sing-songed happily, entering into the house with a large bag in his hand. "And where is our dear pregnant clod, hm~?"

" _You_..." Arthur heaved himself up from the couch and waddled to the entry way, glaring at Francis as he braced a hand on the wall for support- the other wrapped protectively around his large, sweatshirt-clad stomach.

"Ah- Arthur, _mon cher~ Tu vas bien~?_ " The tall blonde greeted warmly, toeing off his shoes and approaching the Brit with a cheerful smile. "I brought you some goodies~!"

Arthur scowled, but accepted the proffered bag hesitantly- glancing inside suspiciously.

Francis chuckled at the Brit's obvious hesitation. "Don't worry, don't worry~ It's nothing bad! They're some pastries that I brought back from France!"

At the reassurance from the older male, Arthur finally reached inside and pulled out one of several pink pastry boxes- his face lighting up immediately at the sight.

"I didn't know that Dorbes Tortes were French~" The Brit remarked with a laugh, his bad mood moments ago seemingly forgotten. Upon further inspection into the bag, Arthur could see various other boxes filled with British pastries, mixed in with the rest of the classically French pastries that littered the bag.

Francis grumbled slightly and waved a dismissive hand. "I thought something from your home would cheer you up, so I had them specially made..."

Arthur's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed gratefully. It had been a while since he had seen Francis, but he couldn't ever remember that frog being so nice to him.

"...Thank you, Francis..." He mumbled out embarrassedly, turning and making his way back to the kitchen to place the bag of pastries.

"Ah, the bag wasn't heavy, was it? He shouldn't be carrying anything." Alfred remarked suddenly, staring apprehensively at where his mate had been before quickly turning to shut the front door.

"Ah, silly me~ I almost forgot!" Francis exclaimed, halting Alfred's movements. "I'll be right back!"

The blonde dashed out the front door and back to his car. Alfred rolled his eyes slightly and instead strolled back to the kitchen to check up on his mate.

"Artie? You in here?" The Alpha asked as he walked into the room, finally finding his Omega carefully taking each pink box out of the bag and lining them up neatly in the counter.

"Wow. There are a lot more of these than I thought there were..." He commented idly. There must have been 20 different pastry boxes- ranging in size from small enough for a single cupcake, to large enough for an entire torte. It seemed like Francis had emptied out an entire bakery to bring this many treats.

"Yoohoo~! Alfred, _mon amie_ \- where did you go?"

Alfred glanced up as he heard Francis' voice coming from back in the entry way.

"Just a sec, Francis! I'll be back in a minute!" He hollered back.

"Hurry up! And bring Arthur, too! I have _une merveilleuse_ surprise for you~"

Arthur glanced up at hearing his name, and shared a suspicious glance with his mate. "More surprises? What is it now...?"

Alfred merely shrugged and wrapped an arm the Omega's shoulders, guiding him slowly back to the entry way. "Alright, Francis. So what's the...sup...rise..."

The American's words trailed off as he saw another figure standing next to Francis.

"Mattie?!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys- guess what? Chapter 4 is up and ready~! Sorry it took so long- life has been crazy! :)**

 **Hope you guys enjoy~~**

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 ** _How to Take Care of Your Pregnant Omega: Chapter 2 - Pheromones_**

 _The Different Types of Pheromones - Continued (Omega)_

Like Alphas, Omegas each have their own unique smell, or pheromone, that they can emit to attract the attention of their fated mate. Some Omegas can control when their pheromones are released- others do it subconsciously. No matter how or when they're released, the smell that they emit will be undetectable to both themselves as well as other Omegas and Betas. Only un-mated Alphas will be able to smell the pheromones of an Omega- but as we discussed in our previous chapter, most Alphas will find the scent of un-mated Omegas to be undesirable.

Once mated, an Omega's pheromones won't change much. The only main thing to note would be that an Omega will start to release less pheromones until either they're in heat, or become pregnant.

While in heat, or shortly before going into heat, an Omega's pheromones will shift in scent- a factor that can help alert their Alpha mate to the oncoming cycle. An Omega's pheromones may smell "agitated" to their Alpha a few days before the heat, coupled with an obviously put-out attitude. Though the Omega will be irritated and will likely want to be left alone, spending time in the presence of their mate and his pheromones will help to ease the Omega's feelings before switching in scent again to something completely different- an intoxicatingly delicious smell that can make an Alpha's head fuzzy and their brain turn to mush. This cycle will continue on until the Omega becomes pregnant.

These sudden and sometimes abrupt changes may take a bit to get used to, but you'll get the hang of it the longer you're with your mate- so keep it up!

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"Mattie?!"

"Ah, Matthew!"

Alfred and Arthur both gaped in shock at the appearance of the young male before darting forward to embrace him.

"How have you been? What have you been up to? It's been so bloody long since I heard anything from you!" The Brit rattled off in excitement, tousling Matthew's hair with a broad grin.

"Ah- it's so good to see you too Arthur!" Matthew returned affectionately, bending down slightly to hug the Omega before pulling back to gasp in awe at Arthur's stomach. "Wow~! Just look at you! You look amazing!"

"...amazingly _fat_..." Francis coughed underneath his breath with a snicker, earning a quick glare from Alfred.

" _What was that Francis_...?" Arthur asked dangerously, glaring up at the male before Matthew cut in.

"Francis. That's enough," He berated with a pointed look.

Francis pouted his lips with a scowl. "Hmph."

"Er, why don't you guys come into the living room?" Alfred finally offered somewhat awkwardly, gesturing for them to walk further into the house while he turned and shut the front door.

The four finally settled down comfortably onto the furniture- Arthur and Alfred relaxing next to each other on the couch, while Matthew and Francis sat in either recliner chair across the coffee table from them.

"So, what brings you here Mattie? You should've called ahead of time and I coulda picked you up had I known you were coming!" Alfred exclaimed with a grin.

"Ah, well...it was sort of impromptu..." Matthew scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I did want to call you so we wouldn't impose, but Francis said that would ruin the surprise..."

Francis nodded emphatically. " _Oui_. What is the point of _une surprise_ if you know it is coming, _non_?"

"Well, I suppose that's true..." Alfred agreed with a nod.

"But...how come you two came together...?" Arthur asked with a confused frown, glancing between the two guests somewhat suspiciously.

"Ah, that's..." Matthew hesitated, glancing at Francis.

Francis smirked mischievously. "Well _mon cher_ , it is because Matthew and I have mated- and we want to formally ask the two of you to give our relationship your blessings," Francis relayed eloquently, smiling gracefully at the three shocked expressions staring at him.

"F-Francis!" Matthew shrieked embarrassedly, his face flushing scarlet.

" _Quelle_? You wanted me to tell them, so I told them."

"Well not like that you dummy!"

"Then how should I have done it, _mon amore_?"

"Erk...well, just- Not like that!!"

Alfred and Arthur watched the argument in front of them with absolute shock.

"M-Matthew, dear," Arthur finally spoke up- his voice deathly quiet. The dangerous lilt in the Brit's voice finally put a temporary ceasefire to Francis and Matthew's bickering as they glanced up at him. "Did this frog-faced bastard force you? Because if he did-!"

The pregnant Omega started to push himself up, eyes declaring murder- but Alfred quickly reached over to stop him with a terrified expression on his face.

"Arthur baby, just calm down now~ Deep breaths! You don't wanna get the baby worked up~" The Alpha immediately tried to soothe, shooting Francis his own murderous glare.

"Wait a minute. Why do you both think that _I_ forced myself on him?!" Francis exclaimed in shock.

"Because! There's no way that my sweet, naive little Matthew would ever fall for any of your cheap words of seduction!" Arthur fired back accusingly. He made to get up from the couch again, but thankfully Alfred was still much faster, and managed to gently restrain him.

"Cheap words of- why you pompous, pig-headed swine!" Francis returned angrily, jumping out of his seat and glaring down the Brit with contempt in his eyes. "What clue do you have about our relationship?!"

"Hey! Don't talk like that to Arthur!" Alfred immediately leapt up and snarled in his mate's defense- the beginnings of his possessive pheromones starting to release from his body.

"H-hey, Al, Francis...settle down, ok? This is just a misunderstanding..." Matthew interjected timidly, rising from his seat and placing a gentle hand on Francis' bicep to push him back into his seat.

"But he-!" Francis started to protest stubbornly, but stopped when Matthew gave him a slightly pleading look. "...Fine."

"Al, please?" Matthew turned to his older brother with a pitiful expression that caused Alfred to slump back into his seat with a sigh.

"Fine."

Matthew smiled gratefully and gave a small sigh of his own before sitting back down and turning to address everybody again. "Look- I'm sorry that things have started off like this- but please just let me explain, ok?"

Arthur nodded satisfactorily and leaned into Alfred's side, gesturing for him to continue.

"Look, I know that you're both very concerned over me, and I know that you both love me...so please don't get mad," Matthew drew his bottom lip into his mouth and chewed on it slightly before continuing. "What Francis said...it's true."

He stopped and took a deep breath, holding up a hand to keep anyone from saying anything before he could continue. "Francis and I started seeing each other about 2 years ago- and about 2 months ago we formed a bond and made it official. I am his mate, and he is mine."

Arthur looked pensive for a moment, pondering the information. "I..see..."

"B-but- Mattie! Why didn't you tell me?!" Alfred burst out suddenly, concern and hurt lacing their way into his voice. "I told you right away when Arthur and I started dating- and I told you right away when we bonded too!"

"Ah, Al...please...," Matthew murmured quietly, staring at the ground and rubbing the back of his neck guiltily. "I- "

"I told him not to tell you," Francis butted in cooly, grabbing Matthew's hand gently and squeezing it to comfort his mate. "With everything that was going on at the time- you two finding out that you were expecting, Ludwig and Feli's wedding...we knew that we had to wait for the right time to tell everybody..."

Alfred frowned and still wore an upset expression on his face, but didn't respond to Francis' reasoning.

"Oh come now, you couldn't even manage a simple phone call?" Arthur returned hotly, sending Francis a scathing eye-roll.

"We wanted to tell you in person, Arthur," Matthew returned earnestly.

"But why now? I know that we haven't seen either of you since then, but you could've made a trip anytime to come and see us!" Arthur protested reasonably, not seeming completely upset- but still trying to sort the situation out.

"Well...Even after Francis and I bonded, we didn't get to live with each other right away...," Matthew began sadly, heaving a long and painful sigh. "The reason why we're here in the States now is actually because Francis and I can finally start living together- Francis flew up to Canada to meet me this weekend and we packed up some of my stuff. Then we came down here to see you guys...and decided that we could maybe look for a house..."

Alfred's brows shot up. "Living here? For real?"

Matthew nodded with a small smile. "I still have my house in Canada, and Francis has his apartments and villas all over Europe- but we thought that we might be able to find our first home together here," He glanced over at Francis warmly and squeezed his hand affectionately.

Francis returned the gesture before turning back to Alfred and nodding his head resolutely.

"We talked about it and decided that this way would probably be _le meilleur_. If we live here we would be close to you, and Matthew and I can help out around here if you guys need anything- especially with Arthur and _le bébé_."

"...That's true...," Alfred finally relented with a sigh, glancing over at his pregnant mate. "It wouldn't hurt to have family close by to help out now and then..."

He stroked Arthur's stomach gently and closed his eyes, getting lost in thought.

"Well I think that sounds splendid," Arthur finally relaxed into a smile, resting a hand on top of Alfred's on his stomach.

Alfred finally opened his eyes and nodded with a grin. "Yeah, it does."

"So you guys don't object? To our...relationship...?" Matthew questioned hesitantly, eyes shining with uncertainty.

"Matthew darling, we're family," Arthur stated softly, reaching his hand out and grasping Matthew's tenderly. "We would never reject your relationship when we can tell that you're truly happy. All we want is to make sure that you're well-loved and safe."

Alfred nodded his head earnestly and scratched the back of his neck. "I'm sorry Mattie- I didn't mean for it to seem like we were upset with ya. I just wanna make sure that the person who's lucky enough to spend their life with my little bro isn't a complete asshat."

Matthew beamed at Alfred's words while Francis tried to figure out if he was supposed to feel offended or not. Arthur simply huffed.

"And you say that _I_ need to stop swearing in front of the baby...," He muttered unjustly, rolling his eyes with another huff.

Alfred clapped his hands together, not hearing his Omega, and smiled broadly at the two across from him. "Well why don't we have a cup of coffee- yes, tea for you darling- and we can catch up on what's been happening the last two years!"

Leaving no time for comment or complaint, Alfred stood up from his spot on the couch- turning and covering his mate with a blanket, before making towards the kitchen.

"Ah, that sounds good! I can help you Al!" Matthew volunteered, hopping up out of the chair and trailing behind his brother to the kitchen. "Just tell me what you want me to do~!..."

With two members of the party gone, a stiff silence stretched its way into the cozy living room. Arthur groaned lowly and glanced up at the ticking clock as if willing time to move faster.

"Well...this is rather unpleasant...," Francis grumbled, looking everywhere around the living room except for at the blonde male sitting on the couch directly in front of his line of vision.

"Don't make it sound like it's _my_ fault you bloody frog," Arthur snapped back peevishly- groaning slightly as an uncomfortable, but familiar, feeling of nausea started to settle its way into his stomach. _Ugh, it's the smell of that coffee..._

He tried to hold his breath as the smell started getting stronger. _Dammit Al, hurry up! That smell is gonna make me vomit..._

Francis finally glanced down at Arthur as the Omega failed to suppress another groan- immediately bringing a hand over his mouth miserably.

" _Mon Dieu_ , you're not gonna spew all over the place- are you?" Francis cautioned in horror, plastering himself against the back of his chair to further the distance between them.

Arthur threw a weak glare over his covered mouth and breathed out slowly through his nose, trying desperately to fight the uncomfortable sensation in his stomach.

"Should...I get Alfred...?"

The Omega frowned and shook his head stubbornly. Alfred had been far too attentive to him lately- and especially now since he was able to spend some quality time Matthew, Arthur didn't want to seem completely helpless.

He groaned slightly and pushed himself gingerly out of the couch, keeping one hand clamped firmly against his mouth, and bracing the other one against his back for support.

"Arthur, where- Do you...need...help...?" Francis called after the retreating figure of the Omega, watching in mild concern as he entered through a doorway and disappeared from view. The blonde glanced around hesitantly, still unsure if he should get Alfred, when the other party made their way back into the room.

"Alright! Who wants some coffee and pastries! Don't worry Iggy- I brought tea for you~" Alfred exclaimed enthusiastically as he re-entered the living room- bearing a tray laden full of the un-boxed pastries that Francis had brought. Matthew followed closely behind with a coffee pot and several mugs in his hands.

"Hey, Francis did you...," Alfred trailed off as he glanced over at the now-empty couch where his mate was just moments ago. "Where's Arthur?" His voice deepened in concern and his eyes glanced around wildly.

The Alpha turned and swept his gaze around the room in search of his pregnant mate. Jolting fear and anxiety made his pulse speed up and his blood run cold as he searched to no avail.

"Francis, where is he?!" The Alpha questioned again, his voice taking on a furious tone as he glared at the blonde. Francis groaned slightly as he recognized Alfred's usually submissive Alpha pheromones start to emerge threateningly.

"Alfred, he's- "

"Did you fucking do something to him?!" Alfred demanded instantly, striding over to the blonde and grabbing onto his shirt forcefully.

Francis grit his teeth and restrained the urge to slam his fist into the American's face. Doing that would only bring serious trouble to him, not to mention Matthew... _Merde, Matthew!_ Francis glanced over at his mate quickly before steeling himself and slowly removing Alfred's hands from the lapels of his shirt. Forcing himself to remain calm for all of their sakes, he thought of what to say before carefully opening his mouth.

"Arthur started feeling sick, so he went to the bathroom." Francis finally explained calmly, slowly and deliberately walking over to Matthew's side and placing the younger male behind him- just in case Alfred started acting irrationally.

"That way." The blonde pointed towards the doorway that he had seen Arthur enter and gestured for Alfred to go.

Alfred narrowed his eyes at Francis and took one more sweeping gaze around the room before bolting into the Master Bedroom.

Matthew stood frozen still next to Francis and finally let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in once Alfred left the room.

"W-what was that? I've never seen Alfred so...scary before." The Beta whimpered slightly and the coffee pot and mugs in his hands clanked together as his hands shook.

Francis' heart leaped with concern for his mate and he gently removed the items from Matthew's arms before holding Matthew's hands in his own.

"I'm sorry _mon amore_ , that must have startled you." He murmured gently, pulling the trembling younger male against his chest.

Matthew nodded shakily and clung to Francis' back. "W-why was he acting like that? My brother never gets mad like that- ever. And he was making it seem like you kidnapped Arthur or something."

Francis hummed in acknowledgment and rubbed Matthew's back soothingly to calm the younger male before

"When an Alpha loses sight of their mate, they go into a blind panic and will do anything it takes to get them back. They lose sight of friends, family- the only thing that they care about is finding their mate. This is especially true if an Alpha's mate is pregnant," Francis explained slowly, rocking his mate gently in his arms. "Since it seems like Alfred and Arthur and never separated, Alfred's Alpha instincts are normally pretty subdued, and you don't even notice his pheromones at all. But, if something were to happen to Arthur- or he goes missing without his mate's notice like just now- Alfred's instincts go into overdrive until he finds Arthur again."

The younger male pondered the statement before nodded in understanding. "But- he should be fine again now, right?"

"Yes, he should be. If not I am sure that Arthur will knock some sense into him." Francis mused with a wry grin. "What do you say we pour some coffee while we wait for them to come back, _Oui_?"

Matthew nodded with a small smile and sunk back down into his chair as Francis began pouring the steaming, aromatic liquid into the mugs on the table. "Here you are _mon amore_."

He passed a warm mug to his mate with a gentle smile.

"Hm, _merci monsieur_ ~" Matthew returned shyly, hiding his blushing face by bringing the mug to his lips.

Francis' smile slipped down into a devious smirk as he dipped his head down to meet his mate's eyes. "You better be careful those words, mon cher~ It turns me on to no end when I hear you speaking French."

Matthew flushed further and Francis took the opportunity to turn his head and whisper into the Beta's ear. "There is a reason why my country's language is known as the language of love- _Oui, mon amore_ ~?"

The blonde placed a teasing kiss on the shell of his mate's ear, and Matthew practically shrieked as he jerked his head away and covered his ear.

"...bloody hell Francis. Really, in someone else's home? How positively classy you shameless wanker...," Arthur made his presence back into the living room known as he shot the two a highly unimpressed- borderline disgusted- look.

"A-A-A-Arthur! I-I-It really isn't w-what it looks like!" Matthew squeaked embarrassedly, his face practically glowing red.

" _O-Oui_ ~ Nothing at all~"

"Really? Then try explaining it so that I can tell what it looks like," Alfred's cool voice cut through Matthew and Francis' stammering- and the two looked like they were about to pass out as the met the American's icy glare.

"A-A-Al...," Matthew stammered nervously.

"Oh never mind that, just get that horrific substance out of here. I'm already feeling queasy again just from smelling it in the room," Arthur complained with a wave of his hand as he glared at the pot of coffee sitting innocently on the coffee table in front of Francis and Matthew.

"Don't worry baby, it's as good as gone," Alfred cooed, hugging his mate gently from behind and nuzzling his cheek into the Omega's shoulder before lifting his head up to send Francis a warning glare.

Apparently he got the hint. "A-Ah! Let me just take care of this! Matthew _mon cher_ , you'll help me?" Francis exclaimed in a pitch just a bit too high for his voice- scrambling to clear the coffee pot and mugs while gesturing for his mate to follow him to the kitchen with a strained smile on his face.

Coffee safely removed from the environment once more, Arthur finally breathed an easy sigh of relief and made his way back to his spot on the couch.

"Ah! Let me help you, baby!" Alfred immediately exclaimed, rushing over to his mate's side and guiding the Omega gently into a reclining position on the couch. "There you go. Are you cold? You must be. Here- let me get you covered up~ Do you want a pillow for your back~?"

Alfred smiled tenderly as he busied himself with making sure that his mate was as comfortable as possible.

Arthur simply sighed and let the Alpha do as he wanted- trying not to feel too much like he was being patronized and treated as a child.

He knew that Alfred had started to snap earlier- the Alpha had come running into the Master Bathroom like something possessed, and Arthur had smelled his pheromones distinctly. On the rare occasion like this where Alfred started to go into Alpha-over-protective mode, the Alpha often started to pamper and fawn over his mate even more than usual. Being over-attentive, making sure that Arthur didn't do anything by himself- basically treating the Omega as if he were made out of glass. Arthur really didn't mind it most of the time, but it did occasionally grind on his nerves. Today was one of those days- but, they had company over, so the Omega relented that he would just have to do his best to put up with Alfred's clinginess until they were gone.

"Al...Alfred- Ahem! Alfred, darling- that's quite enough, thank you," Arthur gently put a cease to the Alpha's insistent fluffing of a particular throw pillow that he had apparently not yet deemed soft enough for his mate to lay with.

"Are you sure? I don't want your back hurting worse because these pillows are uncomfortable," Alfred stated in all seriousness, leaving Arthur to baffle in amazement at how different the Alpha acted after these possessive 'episodes' he had. "On second thought, I should just buy new pillows...Memory foam- those will be excellent for you back..." Alfred trailed off and nodded his head contentedly- pulling out his cellphone and mumbling to himself as he tapped away furiously at the screen.

Arthur barely contained the groan that threatened to escape from his lips as he leaned his head back against the couch.

 _Hopefully he'll snap out of it soon..._


	5. Chapter 5

**NEWWWW CHAPTERRRRR!**

 **If you like it, leave a comment~~!**

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 **How to Take Care of Your Pregnant Omega: Chapter 3 - Questions from the Readers**

What You Should Definitely AVOID Doing During the Term of Your Mate's Pregnancy

Alright, if you've made it this far into the book then—congratulations! It means that you've successfully learned all of the knowledge necessary for the beginning of your mate's pregnancy. So far we've learned about; (1) The changes that you should expect to see in your Omega. (2) Mood swings, cravings, and all of the other lovely traits that your Omega will display and have absolutely no control over! (3) The changes in your own Alpha pheromones that will occur. (4) The way that your Omega's pheromones will change.

Since those first chapters contained scientifically documented facts and procedures regarding the normal circumstances of a pregnant Omega, we're now going to give you some more insight from some of our very own Alpha fathers who have experienced their mate being pregnant—some of them multiple times. The following information that you'll receive is from the guys that have seen this stuff up close and personal—and how they learned to deal with it

 **Q1**. _My Omega has been moody lately, and there's nothing that I can seem to do to fix it. If I get too_ _close to him he gets mad at me, if I'm too far away he gets mad at me. Got any advice?_

Alright, so here's the first piece of information you should always remember during your mate's pregnancy. Your mate is going to be moody, and you're not going to be able to fix it. That's just the way it is. My best advice to you is something that I didn't learn until my wife's third pregnancy; a lot of times your mate is going to be so overwhelmed by the emotions and changes going on in their body that they're not going to know what they want or need. It's your job as their mate just to be there for them. Don't try to do too much and pamper them if that's not what they seem to want—just be there for them and try to be appreciative of what incredible stress their body and mind is going under during this time. About the worst thing you can do when your Omega mate is stressed out and grumpy is to make them even more so.

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"Are you comfy, baby?"

"Yes Alfred, I'm fine."

"For _sure_?"

"Positively."

"Do want another pillow for your back?"

"Alfred, I already have 6. I'm fine."

Alfred pursed his lips into a frown and shook his head. "Well I just think that you should be sure to keep it supported, because I was reading in this book about Omega pregnancy that says you should be sure to support your back because—"

Arthur's brow twitched in annoyance and his voice was tight with barely-restrained anger. "Alfred. I already said that I'm _fine_."

"But, Iggy..."

"For the sixth bloody time—I'm fine! So please stop pestering me so much!"

"I-I'm sorry, baby...I just want to make sure that you're comfortable..."

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"Uh, Francis? Do you think we should go in there and intervene...?" Matthew whispered nervously as he watched the couple arguing from his safe viewing spot in the kitchen. Francis stood directly behind him, peeking cautiously around the doorframe and into the living room.

"Eh? _Êtes-vous fou?!_ We just got out of there! There is no way I am going back. Absolutely not, _mon cher._ " Francis shot back wide-eyed.

Matthew pouted his lips with a frown. "I'm not crazy. I just thought that we might be able to calm Arthur down now that it seems like he's on edge—"

"Alfred can deal with his hormonally crazed mate himself. I have done enough of sticking my neck out today..."

"But look—Al isn't being crazy possessive anymore, so we should be able to go back now..."

Francis glanced back at the scene playing out in the living room with narrowed eyes. "Arthur is in a mood, and I think it is best if we just leave the two of them alone."

"But, _Francis_." Matthew intoned with another pout. "We came all the way here so that we could spend some time with the two of them—and we've hardly been here that long!"

"Well, maybe we should just break for early dinner and come back later, _non_?" Francis suggested.

"Fine. You do that." Matthew huffed, turning away from his partner and striding towards the door.

"Eh? Wai—Matthew? Why are you angry with me, _mon amore_?" Francis caught his mate's arm and spun the younger man around to face him.

Matthew frowned and turned his head away from meeting Francis' gaze. "Let me go, Francis. You obviously don't want to be here so maybe you should just go and I'll stay here. I can walk back to the hotel tonight when I'm done visiting." His voice was low and even as he spoke, but Francis caught sight of the slight quiver in Matthew's lips even as he said those things.

" _Merde_...I'm sorry, _mon amore_." Francis sighed long and low as he gently pulled Matthew into his arms. "You know that I want to be here with you and with Alfred and...Arthur...It's just that we've been so busy these last few months, you and I...It feels like we haven't had alone time together in forever..."

Matthew sighed slightly and nodded in understanding. "It's alright, I know how you feel~ How about we just go back out there for now though, ok? I want to make the most of the time that we have right here, right now. Each day that we're able to be together is a present."

Francis hummed in agreement, savoring in their moment of bliss and stroking Matthew's hair gently. Matthew smiled and pulled away from Francis' chest, grabbing his mate by the hand and leading them back into the living room.

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"I'm sorry, Artie~..." Alfred continued to bemoan pitifully.

Arthur rolled his eyes and sighed at his mate's over dramatic tone. "I already said that you're forgiven."

"Then why are still upset with me~?" The Alpha sulked, turning impossibly blue puppy dog eyes over at his lover sadly.

 _Cause you won't friggin shut up!_ Arthur responded mentally. He instead rubbed his temples and sighed. "I'm sorry, love. I'm just not it a great mood and I'm still not feeling that spectacular."

He _was_ trying, honestly. Alfred was pestering him nonstop and he was really trying to keep his temper under wraps. His hormones were running high though, and concealing his impending anger and annoyance was getting harder by the second. If he would just shut up for a little bit...

"Just tell me what I can do!" Alfred responded immediately. His over-eagerness only drove the stake of annoyance deeper into Arthur's anger.

"Silence, for a bit then." The Brit responded tightly. His eyes flitted to the doorway as he noticed a sudden movement from the corner of his eye. A face emerged from the kitchen and in strolled a cautious Matthew, all but dragging in a less than thrilled Francis behind him by the hand.

"Ah, we're back~..." Matthew announced hesitantly.

"Took you two long enough." Arthur immediately grumbled. Just seeing Francis' haughty face again was enough to make his temper known once more. He looked them up and down like a parent scolding their children as they sunk down meekly into the two chairs across from him. "You better have not been shagging in my kitchen."

Matthew's face exploded into a scarlet flush. "A-Arthur!" He exclaimed in mortified shock, Francis merely rolled his eyes.

" _Arthur_." Alfred groaned. "Don't talk like that, it's rude. Furthermore it hasn't even been 10 minutes since they left."

"Well, whatever..." Arthur mumbled peevishly. He glanced back over at the pair across from him and absentmindedly rubbed his stomach. "So what's the plan now?"

"Whad'ya mean, Iggy?" Alfred asked with a tense smile. Though he was sitting on the same couch as his mate, Alfred remained a good arm's length away from the Omega—clearly not Alfred's idea. Matthew and Francis glanced at each other and surveyed the situation. A quick look hinted that Alfred had relapsed to being his usual annoying self, and Arthur had hit another mood swing and was sailing down into a really awful mood.

Matthew winced and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Do you...want us to leave, Arthur...?"

Arthur frowned. "I never said that."

"Well you are not exactly seeming all that happy with us staying here though, non?" Francis shot back with a quirked brow. Matthew turned and shot his mate a warning look, but the blonde skillfully evaded it with an innocent glance around the room.

"Hey, _Francis_..." Alfred groaned, sending the man across from him a pleading look.

Much to his relief, Arthur bit his tongue and refrained from a snarky retort—but Alfred could tell that his Omega was still on edge.

"I know!" Matthew exclaimed suddenly, clapping his hands together with a wide grin. "I'm sure that Arthur has cabin fever from being cooped up in the house for so long, so why don't we all go out together somewhere?"

"Go out?" Arthur asked curiously, cocking his head at the suggestion.

" _Somewhere_?" Alfred frowned at the vague location.

"... _Together_?" Francis groaned, casting a pleading look for his mate to reconsider.

"Oh come on!" Matthew chided, throwing a scowling look at both his brother and mate. "It'd be good for Arthur get out of the house~ Knowing you Al, he probably hasn't so much as stepped foot out the front door in weeks."

"Try _months_..." Came a scoffed mumble from Arthur.

"Hey, it has not been months." Alfred snipped back. "You need to rest, and going out now—"

"Won't kill me." Arthur replied evenly.

When Alfred showed no signs of looking convinced, Arthur sighed and steeled himself. He sighed and cocked his head with a slight pout, giving his mate the best pair of puppy dog eyes he could conjure at the moment. "Please~?"

Alfred groaned at the adorable act that the Omega was pulling and raked a flustered hand through his hair. "I dunno...Where were you thinking about going, Mattie?"

Matthew grinned in victory and clapped his hands together. "So it's this absolutely adorable little shop that I saw when we were driving through town..."

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"Ooh, ooh! This one is so cute, Arthur~"

"You sure? I dunno...Won't it make me look even fatter?"

"It won't make you look fat, it'll make you look pregnant~" Matthew gushed, standing back to observe the garment further.

"Positive?" Arthur asked doubtfully.

"Of course~" The Beta replied with a happy smile. "From what I can tell, all you where for clothes now that your normal ones don't fit are sweatpants and my brother's hoodies..."

"They're comfy!" Arthur defended with a slight flush. "And style doesn't really matter since I never get out of the house..."

"But that doesn't mean that you can't get some new clothes that are just yours, right?" Matthew prodded, reaching towards the clothes rack and grabbing another garment to examine.

"Well, I guess..."

Meanwhile, two Alphas stood by and watched, rather hopelessly, as the Beta and Omega continued to shop through the store.

"Out of all the things..." Alfred grumbled under his breath, observing his brother and mate comb through racks of clothing, occasionally stopping to hold one up and scrutinize it.

Apparently the somewhere that Matthew had chosen to drag the four of them to was the chic shopping center downtown, which consisted mainly of clothing stores. Now normally Alfred wouldn't mind running around town and shamelessly spoiling Arthur rotten with new things. In fact, he used to love doing just that despite his mate's fervent requests not to spend so much money. However, with Arthur now so far along in his pregnancy, Alfred was nervous about taking him out in public. The thing that worried him most was that his mate would get hurt—physically or emotionally.

"Ugh. I really don't think we should stay here that much longer. This is the third store we've been to and they've already been at this for almost 30 minutes..."

" _Oui_. Normally I am all up for shopping, but mon dieu not today..." Francis responded with a tired sigh, raking fingers through his silky blonde locks.

Alfred picked up the bags from the previous stores that they had shopped at—which he had dropped to rest next to his feet—not taking his eyes off of his beloved in the process. "C'mon, lets go see if we can't expedite this process..."

Francis chuckled, holding a bag or two of his own, and followed after as Alfred pushed himself off of the wall that he was leaning against and strode the short distance over to where Arthur and Matthew still stood, admiring some piece of clothing.

"Hey, you two~ Why don't ya say we wrap up this little shopping spree and head back now, eh? It's been a long day and it's almost 5 o'clock, so maybe we can grab something to eat and take it home?" Alfred proposed hopefully, glancing between the two optimistically.

Arthur stretched his arms above his head and groaned slightly, grimacing with a nod. "Yes, I think you're right. It has been quite a long day and I'm getting rather tired from all the hustle and bustle."

"Aww, ok." Matthew agreed with a slight pout.

Francis grinned and moved forward slightly to smooth Matthew's caramel-colored hair. "Don't worry, _mon amore_ ~ I know you were excited today, but we don't want to over-exert them on our first day here, _non_?"

"Oi. You calling me old?" Arthur glowered, earning a flinch from the offending Frenchman.

"He wasn't calling you old Iggy~" Alfred placated quickly, restraining his pregnant mate before the Brit had a chance to make a scene in the store. "Here Mattie, why don't ya go pay for everything and we'll wait out here, 'Kay?" He reached into his back pocket and produced his wallet, passing the black card inside over to Matthew.

"Eh? Ok, but just wait a sec! We couldn't find this thing in Arthur's size, so I'm gonna go ask if they have anymore in the back." Matthew replied quickly, handing the card back and striding over to the opposite end of the store with some kind of pale peach garment draped over his arm.

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

Matthew ducked around racks of clothing until he had reached the other side of the store and caught sight of a women dressed in the store uniform. "Um, excuse me? Ma'am?"

The woman turned around with a polite smile. "Yes, sir? What may I help you with?"

"Uh, I was wondering if you would happen to have this in a different size in the back? My friend wants to get this but it's not quite the right size..." Matthew held the piece of clothing out for the woman to examine, who nodded as she scrutinized it.

"Ah, yes. The spring maternity collection...I do have a few more in the back, may I ask the size you wanted?"

Matthew rubbed his chin in thought. "Uhhh, I'm actually not really sure..."

"Oh. Would you like me to measure her then?"

Matthew frowned and cocked his head. "Measure her?"

The employee returned the frown. "Yes? I can measure your friend so that you know what size she needs."

"Ah. My friend is male, not female." Matthew explained slowly, cocking his head at the weird expression on the woman's face. "He's an Omega."

"Oh." A look of realization passed over the woman's face and Matthew swore he saw disgust in that gaze before she smiled tightly. "Um, where is your friend then?"

"Uh...Over there..." Matthew replied stiffly, gesturing across the room to where the remaining group of three still stood.

She turned her gaze over to where Arthur stood next to Alfred and Francis. The Omega was leaning heavily against Alfred, an arm wrapped protectively around his pregnant belly. Alfred kept an arm around the Omega's shoulder in support. Francis stood close by, gaze downturned as he busily tapped away at his phone. This time the disgust painting the woman's face was clear. "I'm sorry, but we don't serve that kind here."

Matthew's eyes went wide. "That kind? What's that supposed to mean?!"

"You know perfectly well." The woman snipped back snidely. " _Omegas_."

"How can you even say something like that?! You can't discriminate against people just cause they're an Omega!" Matthew raised his voice, feeling unimaginable anger rising inside of him.

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

"Did you hear something?" Arthur questioned suddenly, lifting his head off of Alfred's shoulder and glancing around.

"Hm?" Alfred followed suit and glanced outside, searching for anything out of the ordinary that may have been the cause of sound.

Francis frowned when he too heard a raised voice.

"We can, and we will! Now if you're not going to leave nicely I'll have you escorted out of the store."

"I'm not going anywhere! I'm a human being just like any other person, and so are my friends! We're entitled to all of the same rights as any other person!"

The group of three snapped their heads when they realized that the voices were coming from the other side of the store.

"Sir, if you and your acquaintances don't vacate our store now I will call security to have you forcibly removed." The employee threatened, nodding her head towards another male employee standing nearby.

Before Matthew could even muster a reply, Francis was by his side in a second—shielding the smaller male from the employee's cold gaze.

"And what, may I ask, is going on here?" He asked cooly.

The woman was obviously flustered at the sudden appearance of such an attractive and well-groomed man, and her face flushed heavily as Francis turned his gaze upon her.

"I asked what was going on here." Francis repeated again, trying to keep his temper in check as he faced the insolent employee. He remained slightly in front of Matthew—his Alpha instincts to protect his mate were on high alert after he heard someone raise their voice at him.

The employee seemed to have finally found her voice as she cleared her throat, blush still peppering her cheeks. "This customer here was just raising a fuss at our store policies. I told him that if he didn't remove himself from the store, I was going to have him removed."

Francis felt a growl of anger rise up in his throat at the thought of someone laying their hands on Matthew. He turned dangerous eyes on the woman. "If you so much as even think of touching my mate, I swear I'll—!"

"Francis, enough." Alfred strode next him and placed a hand on the other Alpha's shoulder. "Let me deal with this."

Francis made to protest, but another look from Alfred had him backing down. "...Fine."

He backed away and grabbed Matthew by the hand, pulling him over to where Arthur stood a few feet away.

"W-what on earth is going on...?" Arthur murmured in confusion, glancing between Francis and Matthew. He could only see Alfred's back, but he knew that the Alpha was still talking to the employee—just out of earshot.

Francis shrugged briefly at Arthur's question, not really knowing himself. "All I know is that someone was yelling at Matthew, so I stepped in."

Matthew trembled slightly and bit his lip. "I asked that lady for help finding this thing in the back...and she suddenly went off about not serving Omegas in the store..."

"Why that pompous, prissy little! I'll show her!" Arthur growled, making to stomp over to where Alfred was.

"Arthur, Arthur! Stop! Stay here!" Matthew protested, grabbing the Omega's arm and gently restraining him.

" _Oui_. For once just let Alfred handle things. It looks like he's making some progress..." Francis commented with a gesture towards Alfred.

The male employee that had been merely observing before had long since disappeared, and now the female employee was rushing to the back-room, pale faced.

Alfred strode over to where the group of three stood, his face a mixture of frustration and disbelief.

"Alfred, what's going on?" Arthur immediately questioned, accepting the embrace that Alfred offered him.

Alfred sighed and shook his head, hugging Arthur to his chest. "I'm sorry, love. And Mattie, you two." Alfred shook his head again as he apologized.

"It's alright, but...What did you say to her, Al?" Matthew asked in confusion, glancing towards the back room where they had seen her disappear.

"I...asked to talk to the manager." Alfred replied, not meeting their gazes.

"Then why did she run and look like she had seen a ghost, hm?" Francis shot back, clearly not buying the excuse.

"Look, I'll explain it to you guys later but right now—"

"Mr. Jones!"

"Ah, Jones-sama! You're here at our store!"

Alfred's explanation was cut short by the arrival two older gentleman, dressed head to toe in expensive suits and shiny loafers. Their faces gave way to the obvious surprise and shock that they apparently felt at seeing Alfred.

"You should have told us that you were coming here today, Alfred-sama! We would have had preparations in place ahead of time to make sure that you had a personal attendant with you to assist!" One of the men exclaimed, a bead of sweat dripping from his brow. "Ah, and this must be your lovely wife!" He continued anxiously, offering Arthur a smile.

Alfred moved in front of his mate and gave the man a look that suggested he stay in his place.

"A-Anyways! You really should let us know when you're planning on coming here!"

The other man beside him nodded a bit too eagerly. "Yes, yes! And we would have notified all of the staff ahead of time so that—"

"So that what?" Alfred interrupted coldly, and all of them looked up at him in surprise. "So that the staff would know that "today only" they should be kind and service the Omegas that came to this store?"

The biting remark caused the two men to flinch, and Arthur glanced back and forth trying to process what exactly was going on.

"It's funny, because as I remember it this store is supposed to serve all customers—including Omegas." He continued, his voice rising a tone in anger.

"N-now Mr. Jones, I heard what that employee told your acquaintances and I assure you she was completely out of line and has been fired—"

"There was no need to go to so much trouble." Alfred cut in again, glancing between the two men.

"Al?" Arthur questioned nervously. He could start to feel Alfred's pheromones, and knew that things were gonna get ugly if a fight broke out.

Alfred turned around slightly and smoothed Arthur's hair with a gentle hand. "It's alright just give me a minute, 'kay?"

Arthur hesitated before nodding slowly, glancing desperately at Matthew and Francis as Alfred turned back to face the men. Apparently they were just as in the dark about their whole situation as Arthur was, and they shrugged back.

"Now, where was I?" Alfred murmured. "Ah yes, I remember..." He stared down the two men, who by now were so visibly nervous that their legs were shaking.

"P-please Mr. Jones..."

"J-Jones-sama..."

Alfred closed his eyes and released a small sigh before opening them again, his resolution firm. "I have no place in my company for people who look down on others and don't follow company policies. Effective immediately the entire staff at this store is fired, and the store will be temporarily closed. I will personally take care of rehiring approved staff to work here."

Arthur's jaw dropped open and he gasped in disbelief. Matthew and Francis shared similar reactions.

Alfred waved his hand at the men as he turned back to his mate. "You two are dismissed."

The two men bowed meekly before leaving through the entrance to the back room—leaving three shocked individuals and a frustrated other in their wake.

When he was sure that they were alone, Alfred sighed and rubbed his temples. "Look, I'm really sorry you guys..."

" _Mon dieu_ , you own this place?!"

"When in the bloody hell did that happen?!"

"How come you didn't tell any of us, Al?!!"

Alfred held his hands up to halt the questions. "Look, why don't we head home and I can explain this all..."


	6. Chaptery

**It. Is. A. New. Chapterrrrrr!!! Can I get a Wa Hoo?**

 **It has been a fairly long while, but here is a new chapter? Looking forward to seeing anything specific coming in future chapters? Let me know in the comments~!**

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

 **How to Take Care of Your Pregnant Omega: Chapter 3 - Questions from the Readers**

What You Should Definitely AVOID Doing During the Term of Your Mate's Pregnancy - Continued

We're going to continue on with some more frequently asked questions from our fellow Alpha readers. Take a look below and see if you find any questions with scenarios that seem similar to your own. Look at the answer given by one of our veteran Alpha mates, and you'll hopefully find some nuggets of wisdom there that can help you with whatever challenge you and/or your mate are facing.

 **Q2.** _Hi! So my question is in regards to the cravings that my wife is having. She's in her third trimester and her cravings have started to get much more frequent, and much more drastic. I know I've been told that as long as it's not food that's potentially harmful to her, she should be fine to eat it—but lately I haven't been able to get her to eat anything nutritious._

 _"Have some vegetables," I'll say._

 _"I'd rather have cake!" She says._

 _"Try a salad dear, it'll be good for you." I'll say._

 _"Why don't 'you' get pregnant and pop a baby out of your * and then we'll talk!" She'll say._

 _Anyways, I love my wife—really, I do. But lately she's really been on the edge about her diet. I want her and the baby to stay healthy—so I want her to try and eat a more balanced diet. But I also realize that she needs to be happy too, so I don't want to prevent her from eating the kinds of foods that she's really craving... Any advice would be most appreciated! T_T_

Ok, so. Looks like you've got a bit of a dilemma on your hands there! Lol. Trust me, been there, done that, totally understand where you're coming from. When my wife was pregnant for the first time, his cravings were relatively minimal right away. He had always kept a healthy diet before, and he had managed to uphold it pretty well—until his third trimester. Now, I think something in him just kinda snapped, cause all of a sudden he was absolutely ravenous for snacks and junk food and sweets. Now at first I thought; "Ok, no biggie. He hasn't craved hardly at all his whole pregnancy, it should be fine for me to indulge him." But, like you said, that was the _only_ thing he wanted to eat.

Eventually, we reached an agreement. We went to his doctor and she made us up a suggested meal chart, that showed what types of nutritious food he should try to eat each day, as a minimum. I would then use the chart to make sure that we ate balanced meals together, as a couple. Then, whenever he was craving something, I would look at the types of food he ate throughout the day, and try to compromise what he was craving with something that was decently nutritious. For example; if he was craving sweets really bad, and requested cake or the likes, I would give him an alternative like zucchini bread, or banana bread. Both are still sweet, but have more nutritious qualities than simply sugary cake. Hopefully this helps, and I wish you all the luck in the future!

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

Safely back in the confines of their home, Alfred sat his mate down on the couch, and gestured for Matthew and Francis to sit in the chairs across from Arthur. He looked at the couch—contemplating sitting next to Arthur—but suddenly decided against it and remained standing. With a rub of his chin, Alfred began to pace in front of the couch.

"Sooo?" Francis eventually prodded, eyeing the tight-lipped American suspiciously. "Are you not going to tell us how you happened to become the CEO of that wonderful company?"

"Yes, _do_ tell...," Arthur grumbled as he shot his mate an accusatory look.

Alfred sighed and raked a hand through his hair as three pairs of eyes anxiously trained on him. He stopped pacing, but remained standing in front of the couch. "So look, I know this may seem like a shock to you guys, and I am really sorry about not telling you—but...I'll just tell it like it is." He paused. "The CEO of the company that I've worked for for the last ten or so years passed away sometime last year...That man was a close friend of my father's...and it was his dying wish for me to be appointed the CEO in place of him..." He frowned and shook his head before continuing. "It sounds unbelievable, trust me, I know. But that is really what happened. Anyways, it didn't even occur to me until I saw the store name on one of the employee's name tags that I realized that that store we were just in earlier was owned by our company...Their actions were absolutely inexcusable..."

Arthur remained pensive, trying to process just exactly what had happened.

"So...you really _are_ actually kind of a hot shot then, _non_?" Francis said with a hint of amazement in his voice.

Alfred cringed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well...I guess..."

"Wow..." Matthew mumbled in awe.

"No wonder you were able to get paternity leave so early..." Arthur suddenly grumbled. He looked like he wanted to yell and go on an angry rant, but the sigh that escaped his lips as he sunk further into the couch was evidence that he was simply too tired to do so.

Again though, Alfred cringed.

Arthur opened his mouth again. Instead of yelling though, like Alfred feared he would, the Brit simply scowled and rubbed his stomach irritably as he continued to grumble in complaint. "Office worker my arse, I _knew_ that there was no way you should've been able to take so much time off of work—even when you said that the CEO of the company you worked for was a family friend..."

"Look Iggy, I'm sorry for not telling you," Alfred tried to amend. "It just happened kind of suddenly is all. I didn't want you stressing out more if I told you that I was suddenly in charge of running a corporation..."

Arthur groaned in defeat and shook his head. "Fine, fine. I know arguing about it now isn't going to do any good so let's just drop it for now."

"Ah, alright," Alfred agreed with a nod. He cast another guilty glance over his mate before turning opposite to where Francis and Matthew sat. "I'm sorry to the both of you as well. What happened today never should have, and I'm really sorry you guys had to get involved..."

"It is alright, _mon amie_ _._ It is, as you Americans say; 'no harm, no foul', _oui_?" Francis chuckled lightly in an attempt to bring up the mood, and Matthew offered his own wide smile and nod in affirmation.

Alfred gave a sigh of relief, and a wry smile crossed his face. "So I suppose you two are about ready to go home, right?"

Matthew opened his mouth to protest, but Francis rubbed his back, cutting him off. "It has been quite a lovely day, but yes, I think that would be best. Matthew and I will head back to our hotel and leave you two be for the evening. We can meet up again sometime when Arthur is feeling up to it, _Oui_?" He turned a glance at his mate who nodded sulkily.

"Okay," Matthew acquiesced.

"C'mon, _mon cher._ Let us get our shoes on." Francis wrapped an arm around Matthew's waist and led him from the living room out to the the front entry way.

"I'll be there in just a sec," Alfred called, watching the pair head towards the front door before he turned back to his mate.

Arthur struggled to push himself up and out of the couch—accepting the assistance of his mate when Alfred bent down and gently pulled him to a standing position. Arthur groaned and then suddenly winced, holding his stomach as a jolt of pain shot through it.

"Iggy? Are you alright?" Alfred asked immediately. He bent down slightly to peer into his mate's face as Arthur squeezed his eyes shut in discomfort.

"Urg...'M fine..." He replied stiffly, blinking his eyes open slowly.

Alfred wasn't convinced. "Are you sure? What happened? What hurts? Here, maybe you should sit back down..."

"No, no," Arthur waved off Alfred's attempts to re-seat him in the couch and instead began to waddle stubbornly to the entry way where Francis was knelt down helping to tie Matthew's boot.

" _Iggy_ ," Alfred protested with a groan. He strode forwards and easily caught up to Arthur—quickly wrapping a supportive arm around the Omega's waist.

As the two arrived in the entryway, Francis and Matthew were conversing in low tones. They stopped speaking upon the new arrivals and Matthew smiled sadly at them.

"I'm so happy we were able to come today, but sad that we have to leave so soon."

Francis chuckled and rubbed Matthew's shoulder absently. "Don't worry, _amore_ —we'll visit again soon, _non_?"

"Mmhm!" Matthew nodded fiercely, then cringed slightly as he turned towards Alfred and Arthur. "That is, as long as we're still welcome here..."

Alfred grinned crookedly. "You guys are family—of course you can come whenever!"

"Just make an appointment a few days prior," Arthur added with a teasing smile.

"So maybe we can come back tomorrow then?" Matthew asked hopefully, looking back at Francis then back at Alfred and Arthur.

Francis grinned. "Why don't we let them see how they're feeling tomorrow. We can have breakfast at our hotel and then check around noon, _oui_?"

Matthew pondered the suggestion before nodding. "Ok, that sounds good."

"Oh, don't bother with bloody awful hotel food," Arthur cut in suddenly. "Why don't you guys just plan on coming here for breakfast?" He glanced up at Alfred for his lover's confirmation.

Alfred hesitated slightly. "If you're sure that you're ok with that..."

"Ah, no—we couldn't impose!" Francis immediately refused. _I doubt that Alfred will let Arthur cook, but if he does..._ Francis mentally shuddered as he pictured the black pile of doom he would be forced to eat if the Brit was in charge of the cooking. Francis and Matthew had a perfectly decent breakfast waiting for them back at the posh high rise hotel that he had booked for them—there was no reason to waste it and sacrifice his stomach and tastebuds for Arthur's attempts at "cooking".

Arthur's brows narrowed suspiciously at the immediate rejection from the Frenchman. He quickly picked up on the reason for Francis' aversion when he saw the slightly sickened look on Francis' face—no doubt from imagining what would be served for breakfast. "Don't worry Francis, I _insist_." Arthur met Francis' gaze with a slight smirk playing on his lips.

 _Arthur, you..._ Francis grumbled internally. _I wonder if it's bad karma to curse a pregnant person..._

Matthew, clearly not understanding the conflict between Francis and Arthur, turned big doe eyes up at his mate. "Francis, they said that it's fine. Can't we have breakfast here?"

"Matthew, we have a perfectly nice breakfast at our hotel! And we wouldn't want to impose even more on your brother..." Francis argued meekly.

Alfred, also unaware of the silent battle between Arthur and Francis, shook his head at Francis' polite rejection. "Don't worry about it Francis—I think it would be really nice to have breakfast together!"

"Yes, Francis," Arthur smirked. "It would be so lovely if all of us could have a nice breakfast together."

Francis paled further and groaned internally, knowing now that there was no way he was going to be able to get out of their plans. "Well...alright..."

Matthew grinned ecstatically and hugged his lover's waist.

"But," Francis quickly cut in, before anyone could get any smart ideas. "I _insist_ that you let me cook."

"Ah, Francis—we couldn't let you do that! You're a guest!" Alfred protested.

"Nonsense—this is a family breakfast, Alfred. _Non_?" Francis replied tightly, trying desperately to get his way.

"But you know what would be even better? It would be so much fun if we could _all_ cook together!" Matthew turned sparkling eyes up at Francis and the taller male try to repress a groan.

 _Together is what I absolutely do not want, mon cher!_

"Or I could just cook and treat the rest of you!" Francis countered smoothly.

"But I wanna cook with _everyone_." Matthew jutted his bottom lip out.

"Mattie can you even cook?" Alfred asked with a chuckle.

"I can!"

"Uh huh..."

"I can! Right Francis?"

"Well..." Francis grinned. Matthew's idea of "cooking" consisted of making ice cream sundaes and pouring maple syrup over already sugary cereal. It had honestly surprised the Frenchman how much sugar Matthew could consume and still be completely unaffected by it. After they had started dating, Francis had long since been in control of Matthew's nutrition—and had finally gotten Matthew to stop trying to sneak some kind of sugar into every meal that they ate.

Matthew pouted his lips at Francis' lack of support and turned to Arthur instead. "Don't you think it would be fun for us all to cook together, Arthur?"

Arthur opened his mouth to answer, but Alfred quickly cut him off with a protective growl. "No. Arthur isn't allowed in the kitchen. He needs to rest, and relax, and not stress the baby."

Arthur immediately scowled.

"But Al," Matthew quickly protested. "Surely there's some things that Arthur should be able to do in the kitchen that wouldn't be too hard on his body, right?"

"No, no—Alfred is right!" Francis interjected with as much honest conviction as he could. "It'll be too hard for Arthur at this point in his pregnancy to remain standing and moving around for so long. He should definitely rest and take it easy!"

Matthew seemed convinced by Francis' reasoning and glumly nodded his head in understanding.

Arthur knew what Francis was playing at—and it pissed him off royally. _Francis I swear, you bloody frog-faced son of a—_

" _Iggy_ ," Alfred interrupted Arthur's internal cursing with a sigh.

"I didn't say anything!" Arthur quickly retorted, feeling like he was about to get scolded for his language.

"No, it's just..." Alfred paused and sighed again. He turned to Matthew and Francis. "Why don't you two head out. We've kept you long enough and I'm sure you'd like to have some time to yourselves."

Matthew shook his head. "Oh, that's alright Al—we really don't mi—"

"That sounds like a plan, _mon amie_ _,_ " Francis cut in quickly, more than eager to sweep his lover away and spend some quality relaxing time together before the night was through. "We will see you tomorrow afternoon for brunch then, _oui_?"

"Sounds like a plan!" Alfred gave a tired grin and said goodbyes as the couple strode through the doorway and out to the black Porsche waiting in the driveway. With a final wave, he finally closed the door and strode back to where Arthur stood. "Ugh, I'm exhausted..." He pinched the bridge of his nose with a slight groan once he was sure that they were alone once more.

Arthur frowned and felt his irritation from earlier slowly dissipate into concern. "Hey, are you alright?"

Alfred glanced up in surprise and quickly offered his lover a grin. Though it was as bright as always, it didn't quite reach his eyes. "What're ya talking about babe? I'm just super!"

Arthur shot his lover a look. "Uh huh, not buying it..."

"Oh come on, I was just complaining a little cause I'm tired is all!" Alfred assured. "Now, I'm sure you're getting peckish—what can I cook for you?"

"No, no. We hardly slept at all and you've been running around all day. You should take the night off..."

"Hey, I told you—I'm totally fine! Now why don't we get you settled in on the couch and you can watch a movie while I whip something up, 'kay?"

Arthur opened his mouth to object, but he was already being guided out of the entry way and back into the living room.

"Now—craving anything particular, my dear?"

Arthur huffed and was about to voice his disapproval yet again before an idea suddenly struck. "Actually, I've got a better idea."

"Oh?" Alfred cocked his head. "Do tell..."

Arthur grinned. " _Pizza_."

Alfred immediately cringed. " _Pizza_? Babe..."

"I haven't had pizza in forever!" Arthur whined, his shoulders slumping in dejection.

"I know, but..."

"You _love_ pizza, Al!"

"I _do_ —"

"Not as much as you love burgers, sure. But still!" Arthur continued accusingly, scowling as Alfred tried to shy away from the gaze thrown at him. "So why can't we have some pizza?"

Alfred gave a sigh mixed with a chuckle and slumped down against the couch cushions. He reached his hands out and caught his lover's, lowering Arthur onto the seat beside him.

"We said that we were gonna try to keep our diet healthy during your pregnancy, Iggy," Alfred complained, hugging the smaller male to him. "I promised that I would do my best to make sure that you were eating a balanced diet, and refraining from binging too much junk food..."

Arthur scowled. "Splurging on some pizza isn't going to be the end of the world..."

"But if I let you have it once..." Alfred muttered under his breath quickly, hoping Arthur hadn't actually heard.

" _Please_ ," Arthur whined again. Apparently he hadn't heard.

Alfred nearly caved, but firmed his resolve. "Why don't we try for something more nutritionally balanced?"

"Like a pizza?"

"Like a salad."

"A pizza is already perfectly nutritionally balanced."

"No Iggy, it's not."

"Dairy, grains, proteins, fruits, vegetables." Arthur ticked them off on his fingers. "Perfectly balanced.

" _Fruit_?" Alfred countered dubiously.

"Tomatoes."

"Babe, that's not..." Alfred trailed off with a half-hearted groan. "It may contain all members of the food pyramid, but that doesn't make it _balanced_."

"Well look at you, Mr. Know-it-all. I do ever so wonder who it was that taught you all that," Arthur replied snippily. His hunger was starting to put his hormones even further on edge than they already were.

Alfred sighed and resisted the great urge he had to roll his eyes upwards. " _You_ taught me that, Arthur."

"Hmph. Damn bloody straight I did," The Brit retorted with an indignant sniff.

"Why don't we just settle for something at home, ok?" Alfred cut in quickly—eager to find something to appease his mate before the pregnancy hormones started getting further out of hand.

"I don't want anything from home...," Alfred grumbled childishly.

Alfred tried to keep his building frustration from showing and took a calming breath—releasing what felt like the thousandth sigh of the day. "Why don't you wait here and keep thinking if there's anything else you want to eat, 'Kay? I'm gonna go to the bathroom." He smoothed Arthur's bangs gently before rising from the couch and stalking back to their master bathroom.

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

Not a few moments later, Alfred returned from the bathroom—mopping his still-damp hands against the thighs of his jeans.

"Iggy? Think of anything yet?" He asked tiredly, rubbing his eyes as he reappeared into the living room. "Iggy?" He looked around and realized that Arthur was no longer on the couch where he had been left.

"Babe, where—?!" Alfred started in a panic—then caught sigh of a blonde mop of hair toddling around the kitchen. "Ugh...you're gonna give me a heart attack one of these days..."

"Hm?" Arthur glanced up in slight surprise at the voice before putting his hands behind his back and blinking up at the Alpha innocently.

" _Iggy_..."

"I didn't do anything," Arthur immediately replied.

Alfred took a few steps into the kitchen, his gaze slowly falling on the open lid of a pink pastry box poorly concealed from his view behind Arthur's back.

"You know you're not supposed to have sweets this close to bedtime," Alfred chided, holding his hand out. "C'mon Iggy, hand it over."

"Hand _what_ over?"

"Whatever chocolate it is that you're eating."

"How did you—! I mean... _What_ chocolate? I don't know what you're talking about..." Arthur babbled moodily. He was still clearly upset over his diet being constrained.

Alfred stepped close enough that Arthur could smell his delectable pheromones encircling him. He put a hand on the counter on either side of Arthur, then leaned in close to the Omega's ear. "Really? Then what's this here?" He turned to Arthur's cheek and licked a small streak of chocolate on the corner of his mouth.

"Sure tastes like chocolate to _me_."

Alfred's voice was soft and sweet and husky in Arthur's ear. The Omega couldn't help the lustful shudder than ran down his spine at the tone of voice.

"C'mon babe. Give 'em back to me," Alfred purred, flicking his tongue over Arthur's ear teasingly.

Arthur whimpered at the feeling before he slowly surrendered the pink box from behind his back. It was filled with an assortment vanilla and chocolate tea cakes—with the majority of the chocolate ones reduced merely to messy smears of dark brown painted across the inside of the box. He turned to cast a tear-filled glare up at his mate. "You big bully. That's not fair, using your pheromones."

Alfred smirked as the box was placed in his hands and he haphazardly chucked it onto the counter behind him—his full attention now on his mate. "You're right, that wasn't fair," he agreed, placing a kiss onto Arthur's soft lips—still stained with evidence of chocolate.

Arthur scowled with a sniffle. "So you should make it up to me then."

Alfred smiled endearingly and wrapped Arthur in his arms. "I guess pizza doesn't sound too bad for supper..."

Arthur perked up instantly, sadness over his confiscated chocolate forgotten. "You mean it?"

"Sure," Alfred shrugged. "Splurging every once in a while isn't too bad."

"You're really serious?" Arthur doubled-checked with a slight frown.

"Of course! Now, what kind do you want?"

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

"Alrighty, here's your pizza! One extra-large supreme, with double black olives, double pepperoni, no onions, no peppers, extra garlic. And special request additions of sardines and pickles!" A man in bright red baseball cap stood at the entryway of the house, grinning slightly as he recited the order.

Alfred looked slightly embarrassed as he took the steaming box from the man. "Thank you."

"Oh, and one order of bread sticks—2 garlic dipping sauce!" The man added, passing over a white plastic bag.

Alfred took it with another embarrassed grin. "Thank you, so much." He turned into the entry way and set the box and bag down on a nearby chair as he rifled to get a few bills out of his wallet. He pressed a stack into the delivery man's hand—with an extra large tip for the trouble.

"Seriously, thanks," Alfred repeated with a chuckle. "You don't know how much you saved me here."

"Pregnant spouse?" The man guessed with a knowing grin.

"Uh, yeah. How'd you know?" Alfred asked with a chuckle.

"My wife's 6 months along. He's cranky as fuck and is craving the weirdest foods," The man explained with a laugh. "If he doesn't get exactly what he wants—right when he wants it—then I get nothing but angry rampages. Well, until the tears start..." He laughed again and shook his head. "I've learned from hard earned experience to keep some stuff on handy. Our fridge is currently full of kale and strawberry jelly—his most recent cravings."

"Ahh," Alfred grinned. "We're currently on sardines and pickles, as to the special request..."

"Of course, I totally get it."

Alfred gave a friendly wave as the man zipped up the money into his pouch and said his goodbye—walking back to his car and pulling down the driveway. He hadn't realized how nice it was to have a fellow father-to-be to talk with, to share stories and tips and tricks with. Alfred smiled to himself as he locked the door and carried the food into the living room where his pregnant mate was splayed over the couch, tapping his finger anxiously against his crossed arms.

"Alright babe, hungry?"

Arthur looked up quickly, eyeing the box with a drool. "Famished."


	7. Chapter7

**To all of you lovely readers who have been waiting patiently and in anticipation for a new chapter to come out—I am both extremely grateful, as well as extremely sorry. I've been working on this chapter here and there for a while but I've been super super busy with Uni and haven't had nearly the time nor energy to work on my fics. I finally got the chance to get some solid work done on this chapter and was planning on making it a lot longer, but decided ultimately to splice the chapter so that there will be a shorter delay until the next update~!**

 **Again, thanks so much for those of you who have been supporting this fic and encouraging updates—you don't know how much it means, honestly :D**

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

 ** _How to Take Care of Your Pregnant Omega: Epilogue_**

 _Overview_

So you've made it to this point—congratulations! You've learned a vast amount of knowledge about Alphas and Omegas, pheromones, pregnancy symptoms, and advice from fellow Alphas. From this point on, it's time to take that knowledge that you've learned and apply it to both you and your mate. Remember—as much as we try and put all of our culminated knowledge into this book, we're not perfect. There will undoubtably be a situation, scenario, or symptoms that you occur that aren't covered in this book—it's alright. Don't panic. Use the knowledge you've gained and apply it.

You obviously cherish your mate enough and want to provide them with a happy and loving relationship—and that's part of what compelled you to pick up this book. No be confident in yourself and continue to care for your mate like you've already been doing. Everything will turn out just fine!

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

"Al, do we have any chocolate syrup left?"

Alfred glanced down from the television screen to stare at his mate. " _Chocolate syrup?_ " The remainder of a slice of pizza dangled from one of his hands, while the other was wrapped comfortably behind Arthur's shoulders.

Arthur was currently staring at his own slice of pizza, half-eaten. " _Mhmm_."

"Arthur, whatever do you need chocolate syrup for?"

"The pizza," Arthur replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Of course, for the pizza..." Alfred scrunched his brows in thought and shook his head. "Pretty sure we used the last of it a few days ago on ice cream."

"Oh." Arthur sounded disappointed. "Caramel syrup?"

" _Caram_ —? Iggy, who in the world eats supreme pizza with sardines and pickles and asks for caramel sauce to go on top?" Alfred asked incredulously.

Arthur pouted slightly and nibbled at the crust of his pizza. "I can't help it. That's what the baby is hungry for..."

Alfred chuckled and rubbed his mate's shoulder endearingly. "That baby is going to have _quite_ the strange palette if you keep indulging in all of your bizarre cravings."

Arthur scowled and smacked Alfred's arm without much strength. "Prat..."

" _Oww_ ," Alfred whined and rubbed his arm exaggeratedly. It hadn't hurt, of course, but he wanted to illicit some sympathy from his mate. He turned sad puppy eyes up at Arthur.

As he had expected, Arthur showed no concern—shifting to swing his legs up onto the couch and turning his eyes back to the TV screen.

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

After the movie finished, the pair had sauntered off to bed—and before either of them knew it, morning had arrived.

"Ugh...Wha time'sit?" Arthur slurred groggily. He stretched and rubbed at his eyes with a glance around the room.

"Oh, you're awake?" Alfred was propped up against the backboard of the bed, and glanced over at the sound of his mate. He closed the laptop that he had been typing away at and leaned over to press a kiss against Arthur's cheek. "It's about 7 AM."

"Mmm...How come you're up s'early?" Arthur yawned, snuggling back into the covers when he decided that he needn't get up just quite yet.

Alfred's grin faltered for a second, but he quickly caught it. "Just had some stuff I had to take care of this morning..."

"For work?"

"Mmhm..."

"There isn't...," Arthur hesitated unsurely. "You're not having... _problems_ now after what happened at that store the other day, are you?"

"Oh, no! 'Course not, Iggy!" Alfred replied easily, and it was hard for Arthur to tell if that really was the truth. "There was just some paperwork sent to me this morning that needed my approval. I had just finished responding to them when you woke up."

Arthur nodded quietly.

"I didn't wake you up, did I?" The Alpha asked suddenly, casting a worried glance over his mate. "I'm sorry, babe. I should've taken it out to the living room to work on, but I wanted to stay here in case you happened to wake up and need anything...No, I should've just told them to wait—it really didn't need to get done right now..."

"No, honestly it's fine...You didn't wake me," Arthur assured. He paused and tried to think of a change in subject. "...What time were you thinking of having Francis and Matthew come back over at?"

"Well..." Alfred rubbed his chin in thought, thankfully not seeming to notice the switch in topic. "...Maybe around 11ish? That would give both them and us some time to get ready for the day...

"Ok, that sounds good..." Arthur nodded, scooching over closer to Alfred so that he could rest his head upon the Alpha's chest.

Alfred smiled and combed his fingers through Arthur's blonde bangs. "Are you still tired? You can sleep a little longer and I can wake you up before Mattie and Francis get here."

"Hmm." Arthur pondered his options. "How 'bout we both go back to sleep for a little bit? It looks like you've hardly slept."

Alfred tried to refuse, but Arthur pursed his lips stubbornly—tugging on Alfred's arm.

"Well...I guess it's not a crime to sleep in sometimes..." Alfred caved with a chuckle, placing his laptop on the floor and sliding back underneath the covers.

Arthur grinned triumphantly and waited until Alfred had re-situated himself underneath the covers before once again snuggling up to Alfred's side and placing his head on top of his mate's chest. Within seconds Arthur's soft breath evened out—a sure sign that he had succumbed to sleep once again.

Alfred gazed down affectionately at Arthur and gently stroked the Omega's mop of hair. To be honest, his work _had_ gotten a bit more hectic after the incident that occurred at the clothing store the other day. He had been bombarded with countless emails from his secretary, begging him to come in to the company and appease the anxious board of directors. Alfred, of course, had adamantly refused, and instead compensated by sending numerous emails of his own to the entire company to explain the situation and the changes that were going to come from it.

The Alpha released a tired sigh and tried to push thoughts of work and stress out of his head. Right now all he wanted to do was stay in this moment—happy with his beautiful mate safe and content in his arms. With those fleeting thoughts lingering in the back of his mind, Alfred allowed a smile to grace his lips as his eyes slipped shut.

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

Francis awoke from his slumber slowly—reveling in the feeling of waking up naturally, without the aid of an alarm to force him from sleep. He sighed contentedly—not remembering the last time he had slept so deeply. A lazy glance around the modestly decorated room reminded him that he was not in fact in his luxurious apartment in Paris, nor was he in Matthew's small house in Canada.

 _Ah, that's right, hotel room..._ Francis mused, shifting underneath the sheets that were also definitely not the silk Armani bed sheets that he had at home. His toes bumped something warm, and he soon realized that his small lover was curled up against his side like a cat—his head just poking above the covers. Francis smiled and stroked the top of Matthew's caramel-colored hair, slowly stroking his slender fingers down to the nape of his neck. Matthew stirred in his sleep, shifting even closer to Francis' side with a contended purr. The action caused the comforter to slip—revealing a menagerie of love bites painted across the entirety of Matthew's neck, chest, and shoulder. And that wasn't to mention all that wasn't visible above the sheets.

With Matthew's naked form curled up tightly against his own, Francis felt irreplaceable happiness fill his chest as memories of last night began to filter back into his brain. It had started with a few glasses of wine. A few innocent pecks. Some flirtatious touches... And it had quickly spiraled out of control into an all-night affair of unbridled passion.

It had been so long since it had just been the two of them, together, without stressing over things, and free to simply indulge in one another's company. Francis had hoped, in part, that this trip to America would allow time for him and Matthew to simply catch a break and take a vacation. Though the events of yesterday's visit to Alfred and Arthur had been anything but stress-free, Francis knew how much it meant to Matthew—and knew that even the chaos was a welcome reprieve from the loneliness and difficulty of everyday life that burdened Matthew.

As such, Francis couldn't contain himself when he finally had his lover all to himself, splayed across the hotel bed with tousled hair and the taste of finest wine on his lips. Finally, with no distractions and no one to keep them apart, Francis had his way with Matthew—making up for the eternity of time that had passed since their bodies had last embraced each other in such sweet ecstasy. Their midnight romp had lasted until the early hours of the morning—and Francis could only bring himself to feel slightly regretful for not allowing his lover more sleep when he saw how dead to the world his Matthew was this morning.

Francis smirked. It was probably a good thing that alternative plans had been made for breakfast. He glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table. _11:00 AM_ —well past the hotel's serving hours for breakfast.

A slight groan and a stifled sigh drew Francis from his pondering. He glanced down to see the caramel colored mop stir against his chest.

Francis nuzzled Matthew's cheek with his nose. " _Bonjour, mon amore~ Avez-vous bien dormi~?_ " He purred.

Matthew blinked his eyes open slowly, rubbing them with a yawn. "Mmm, good... _J'ai encore sommeil_..." He responded drowsily, his speech a mix of fragmented English and French due to his barely semi-conscious state.

Francis chuckled in amusement and Matthew burrowed back into the sheets with another yawn.

" _Pardonne-moi, ma chérie,_ " Francis whispered sweetly. "I know I should have let you get more sleep...But last night you were simply trop mignon and I just could not help myself." He nuzzled Matthew's head again, and Matthew finally poked his head up above the covers.

"I's alrigh—," Matthew yawned, leaning his head against Francis' chest. "I am hungry though..."

Francis chuckled and kissed the top of Matthew's head. "Then it is such a good thing that we have plans for breakfast today, _non_? It appears that we have slept in a bit too late for the hotel's service..."

"Hmm?" Matthew's eyelids were dropping as they attempted to remain open, but he frowned slightly at his lover's words. "What time is it?"

"Ohhh..." Francis drew out the sound as he glanced over at the clock to inspect the time—despite already having an idea. "Around 11:00 or so..."

That woke Matthew right up. "11:00?! Already?!" He gasped.

Francis couldn't hold back a chuckle. " _Oui_. Do not worry, I'm sure Alfred and Arthur won't mind if we are fashionably late."

"Francis..." Matthew protested. He could already imagine the kind of face that Arthur would be making when they showed up late.

"Well, we can just come up with an excuse as to why we were late," Francis suggested lazily, waving a dismissive hand that showed he honestly didn't care that much.

"I'm pretty sure Arthur isn't gonna accept a _'Sorry, we were late because we stayed up all night shagging, and slept in this morning'_ apology as an excuse for tardiness..." Matthew mumbled with a flush to his cheeks, flopping back down on Francis' chest with a sigh.

Francis shook as laughter bubbled back from his stomach once again. "Oh, _mon amore_..." He chuckled affectionately, smoothing Matthew's sleep-mused hair.

"Hmph..."

"Well, as wonderful as lounging in bed all day does sound—I think we should get ready, _non_?"

"Mm, yeah but...—Hey!!" Matthew yelped as Francis suddenly scooped him out of bed and tossed him over his shoulder. "Francis! P-put me down!"

"Ehh? But we need to go get ready~," Francis teased, patting Matthew's naked bum affectionately.

"I can walk!" Matthew responded hotly. His cheeks burned in embarrassment.

Francis chuckled. "If you can still walk after all that we did last night, then I have not done my job properly."

Matthew made a noise of frustration in his throat but dropped the subject—allowing Francis to carry him towards the bathroom.

"Now—I think a nice shower would be just the thing to start off the day with, ne?"

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

Alfred groaned and stretched his arms over his head as he slowly roused from slumber. "Ugh. I haven't slept that long in while...What time is it..?" He fumbled around and felt for his phone, before distinctively realizing the lack of a warm body next to his. "Iggy?! Where—?!"

"Right here, I'm right here!" Arthur quickly called, striding into the bedroom in a bathrobe and holding a cup of coffee.

"Ugh, my heart..." Alfred moaned, slumping back onto the bed with an arm over his eyes. "Where were you?"

"I ended up waking up a little bit ago, so I figured I would make some coffee for when you woke up," Arthur replied, holding out the steaming mug of liquid to him.

Alfred clutched his heart in mock-pain. "Ugh, my lovely wife has stolen my heart yet again."

" _Haha_. Very funny." Arthur rolled his eyes, albeit without much bite.

Alfred then noticed how Arthur was holding his breath—trying not to breathe through his nose.

"Babe," Alfred realized and whined sympathetically. He grabbed the cup of coffee from his mate and set it on the side table. "I know how bad your morning sickness is! You didn't have to do that..."

Arthur gingerly sucked in a breath and shook his head. "No, it's alright. It wasn't so bad this morning."

"Really?" Alfred asked doubtfully.

"Mmhmm...," The Omega answered evasively, not meeting his mate's eyes.

"Iggy...," Alfred complained again.

"Uh, when are Francis and Matthew coming over?" Arthur quickly distracted, hoping to end Alfred's incessant worrying.

"I told them to come over at 11, so we should have a few hours..." The Alpha replied with a yawn.

"Um..." Arthur glanced up at the clock, then down to Alfred. "Darling, do you know what time it is?"

"Yeah—it's like 8 o'clock, right? I just closed my eyes again for a little bit and I feel much more rested now!"

Arthur stifled a laugh.

"What?" Alfred glanced up, confused. "What's so funny?"

"I think the reason why you feel so well-rested now is because you went back to sleep for almost 4 hours!" Laughter bubbled from Arthur as he took in the expression on his mate's face.

"Wha—? 4? No—no way." Alfred shook his head, a shocked look on his face.

Arthur shook as laughter continued to burst from his chest. "Getting a little senile, are we? Experiencing some narcolepsy already? Goodness darling, I guess we'll have to stop staying up so late."

"Haha. Very funny."

"Oh it is _so_ very funny," Arthur grinned, his laughter finally subsiding enough for him to breathe properly again.

"Alright, so what time is it then?" Alfred asked, annoyed.

"Oh, just after eleven..."

"Iggy, why didn't you wake me up?" Alfred groaned, dragging himself to an upright position and slouching against the headrest of the bed. Arthur perched on the edge and watched as Alfred took a several large gulps of the coffee before returning the mug to the bedside table.

"You just," Arthur hesitated as he tried to find the right words. "You haven't seemed like yourself lately." He paused and frowned.

Alfred jumped to soothe his mate's worries, but Arthur gently cut him off.

"It's not your fault," He quickly amended. "And I don't mean to say that you've been acting differently towards _me_ —it's just...I can tell that you're stressing about things, and I know you're tired all the time even when you say that you're not."

Alfred frowned guilty and grabbed one of Arthur's hands into his own.

"I'm sorry babe, I really am." Alfred sighed. "It's just stuff's been a bit hectic at work lately, and I keep telling the guys to handle it and they keep bugging me about things—small things, that they know how to do and shouldn't even need my approval on...I'm sorry if it's been affecting you, and I promise that this morning was the last time. I sent a strongly worded letter to the board of directors and my secretary to put an end to everyone's incessant bothering."

"No, no—it's work, I understand," Arthur replied immediately. "You shouldn't just drop everything at work if they need you—it's your job as CEO to take care of those sorts of things, right? It's important."

Alfred shook his head and rubbed the back of Arthur's hand in his own. "No. I told them that I'm on full leave from now until after our baby is born. I wanted to make sure that I was home more now towards the end of your pregnancy to stay with you—I've wrapped up all the loose ends with work so now I can give you my complete, 100%, total, and utmost attention!" Alfred leaned forwards and bumped his forehead against Arthur's. "You're the most important thing to me, work be damned."

Arthur melted at the affectionate gaze and chuckled despite himself. "Don't say that or we're gonna turn on the Telly and see news of your company building on fire tonight..."

"Doesn't matter as long as I have you!" Alfred sing-songed.

"As much as I appreciate the sentiment, food doesn't materialize on its own, darling. We do still need money to live."

"Haha, I guess you have a point. What say you we get outta bed now and call up Francis and Matthew?" Alfred leaned forwards to plant a kiss on his Omega's lips, but was stopped by a gentle hand to his lips.

"Uh, coffee breath."

"Oh c'mon! It's not that bad, Iggy," Alfred laughed.

"Well, yes. But—," Arthur hesitated and quickly brought his hand from Alfred's lips to rest gingerly over his own. "Uh...morning sickness..."

"Ohhhhh," Alfred stretched the sound out and guiltily retreated from his attempted morning kiss. "Sorry babe, forgot."

"It's alright." Arthur forced a smile through his grimace and rose from the bed, still keeping a hand close to his mouth.

"Why don't you put some clothes on, and I'll go and phone Matthew, shall we?" Arthur suggested, obviously keen to leave the coffee-aromatic room.

Alfred pondered for a moment. "Alright then—be out in a flash!"


	8. Chapter8

**Hello! It's been a while, but I'm happy to say that there's a new chapter here~! Quarantine time has meant that I have slightly more time to write than usual, lol.**

 **Stay inside, stay safe, enjoy this new chapter, and as always—leave a comment if you like what you read~!**

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

While Alfred rolled out of bed and towards the bathroom, Arthur strode back to the kitchen, picking up his cellphone and swiping through his contacts.

"Matthew, Matthew," he muttered to himself.

He found the name he was looking for and rang the number. A steady rhythm of rings filled his ear as he waited for the other party to pick up.

A busy tone sounded. _Hey, this is Matthew! If I'm not answering my phone I'm probably out playing hockey, or watching a movie, or eating ice cream, or...doing something else! Anywho, leave a message!_

Arthur waited a second before hanging up. "Bugger." He frowned at the phone. "Surely they're not still in bed at this hour, right?"

The clock on the wall ticked loudly as Arthur gnawed his lip, debating. He hesitated for a moment before going back to his phone and pressing a different contact.

 _Ring...Ring...Ring..._

"C'mon frog face," he groaned in annoyance. A few more rings sounded before there was a click on the opposite end.

" _Huff_...O-oui?... _Hufff_..."

"F...Francis?"

"Ob-viously," the voice wheezed.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?"

Francis coughed to clear his throat. "N-Nothing."

"Francis, I swear to bloody hell if you're doing what I think you're doing—"

"—Not! I'm not!" Francis quickly interjected, coughing a few more times.

"Why do you sound like you've just been running a marathon then?" Arthur question with a scowl—placing an annoyed hand on his hip and tapping his foot impatiently.

"I...was..." Francis croaked.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Why didn't Matthew answer his phone? Where is he, I want to talk to him."

There was some intoned grumbling on the other end of the phone which Arthur could barely make out as Francis cursing under his breath in French, before the phone was passed over and Matthew's voice filtered through the phone.

"Arthur! Look, I'm so sorry! I know we were supposed to be over there by now—"

"Don't worry, it's fine Matthew," Arthur sighed dismissively. "Anyways, do you know what time—"

"Ack! Francis!"

"...Matthew?"

"—Don't die on me! Here, here—"

"Matthew! What on earth is going on over there?!" Arthur demanded.

The other side of the line went quiet except for a few coughs and some wheezing.

"There there—are you alright?" Arthur could hear Matthew's voice through the speaker, though it sounded like it was far away from the phone.

"Matthew! Answer me right this instant!" Arthur demanded again, heart hammering madly in his chest with fear.

"...There, there..." Matthew cooed again, then there was a rustling sound and Matthew's voice was near Arthur's ear again.

"Sorry Arthur..."

"What the bloody hell was that all about?!" Arthur wheezed, clutching his chest angrily. "Are you two alright or what?"

"Well...yes..." Matthew's voice trailed off, sounding embarrassed. Arthur could picture the boy blushing on the other end of the line.

"What was all of that noise then?" Arthur asked, slightly more patiently this time now that he realized the situation wasn't a matter of life or death.

"We...sorta...fell asleep...in the bathtub...,"

"You...what...?"

"We were taking a bath and we fell asleep!" Matthew repeated, his voice rising to a shriek.

Arthur had to move the phone away from his ear to save his eardrums from the high-pitched tone. "Do I want to know...?"

Matthew huffed. "Well, first we got up for the day and decided to take a bath. Then, apparently we fell asleep when we were in the tub, because the next thing I know is that my phone starts ringing, and Francis was carrying me out of the tub. Only, he slipped and dropped me—but luckily the hotel bathroom is covered in these plush shaggy rugs, so I was fine—but he fell back in the tub and started drowning. I helped him out and he was fine, but he hit his head so I went to the other room to get some ice from the ice bucket. Well then _his_ phone started ringing so Francis answered it, and then I came back and started talking to you and then Francis tried to stand up, and he tipped over, so that's when I started panicking and I dropped the phone, but I think he's ok now." Matthew gasped for breath as he finished his rant.

Well, Arthur didn't quite know just what to say to that.

He picked the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "So you're both fine? You were just being overdramatic?"

"Well, technically—,"

"—Yes, we are fine." Francis' voice suddenly cut off Matthew's breathless response. "Forgive the disturbance, we shall finish getting ready and be off to your place momentarily."

"Uh, sure..."

" _Adieu_."

The line went dead with a ' _click_ '.

Arthur lowered his phone from his ear, staring at it in utter confusion with what he was supposed to make of what he had just heard. Forget about it, that would be best, he decided. He gave one last look at his phone before strolling off to the master bedroom to see if Alfred had finished getting ready.

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

"Al? Are you in here?"

Arthur peered around their large master bedroom with no sign of his mate. "Al, darling?"

The door to the adjoining master bathroom slid open and Al walked in—one towel wrapped loosely around his hips, and another draped across his shoulders that he was using to mop at his damp hair.

Arthur sucked in a breath at the sight—watching as a few stray droplets of water trickled down Alfred's abs. It honestly just wasn't even fair. How could a man with such an awful diet still manage to have abs like that? Damn metabolism. Even before he was pregnant, Arthur had a hard time with his ability—or rather inability—to put on muscle tone. Even with a fair bit of exercise and constantly watching what he ate, Arthur found it impossible for his body to be anything but lean.

"—Arthur. Yoo hoo?"

"Huh?"

"I was calling your name and you weren't answering." Alfred grinned and strode over to where Arthur stood. He placed his hands on his hips and leaned forwards. "What, were you momentarily entranced by my beauty?" He flipped his damp hair and struck a flamboyant pose.

Arthur snorted, and was about to mutter something about not borrowing pick-up lines from Francis, but instead shook his head with a grin. "Every time, darling."

Alfred's eyes widened slightly, and a delightful pink blush spread across his cheeks. He obviously hadn't been expecting the teasing response. "W-Wha.."

Arthur snickered. It had been a while since he had been feeling well enough to reciprocate Alfred's incessant teasing—thus it had been some time since Alfred had been on the receiving end of such teasing. He decided to take things a step further. "Oh come now, getting embarrassed already? And here I thought I was gonna get a show..."

"A-Arthur!" Alfred's face erupted into a full-force blush, only egging on Arthur's mirth all the more.

"Ah, it's been a while since I've seen you blush like that." Arthur giggled a few more times and brushed a stray tear from his eyes. "It's refreshing to see you at a loss for words for once.

Alfred glowered—but it was minimized by the pink cheeks and pursed lips that were obviously holding back his own laughter. "Glad to see you're in such high spirits."

Arthur grinned. "Well, I can't let the hormones dictate how I feel everyday. Besides, I happened to have just had a rather amusing conversation with Matthew..."

"Oh? What did he say? Are they on their way over?"

"Well...let's just say they had a minor setback which has slightly delayed their departure."

" _Minor setback_?"

Arthur waved his hand dismissively. "Something about Francis drowning in the bathtub."

" _Arthur_."

"What? He said that he was fine and that they would ' _be over momentarily_ ', or something like that."

Alfred shook his head with a sigh. "If you say so Iggy."

"Don't worry, darling. Everything is just fine." Arthur beamed up at him.

Well then. That explained the good mood. Anything having to do with Francis embarrassing himself or experiencing a non-life threatening injury was sure to put a smile on Arthur's face.

Alfred strolled over to their walk-in closet and became keenly aware of a pair of eyes watching him. He half-turned and met Arthur's gaze. "Uh, Iggy?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you just staring at me?"

"Hmm? Am I staring?"

"Uh yes, you are."

"Oh."

Alfred frowned and walked back to where his mate was perched on the edge of their bed. "Babe, are you feeling alright?"

"I think so," Arthur replied in a strangely odd tone. "Why?"

Alfred put his palm against Arthur's forehead. "You're just acting a little...odd."

Arthur rolled his eyes and instead wrapped his arms around the Alpha's torso, hugging him closely. "Mmm, you smell good," he mumbled, nuzzling his face against Alfred's chest.

"Uhh, I-Iggy..." Alfred chuckled nervously. "What're you doing?"

"Smelling you," Arthur mumbled in reply, moving his arms up further to loop around Alfred's neck. He pulled down until Alfred complied and bent down—allowing Arthur to rest his face in the crook of Alfred's neck.

Alfred felt a shiver run up his spine as he felt his Omega's soft, warm breath fanning across the sensitive skin of his neck. He willed himself to think of anything but the sensation, lest he start getting aroused.

It wasn't that it was _wrong_ for him to get aroused in this situation—this was his mate for crying out loud! It would be weirder for him _not_ to feel something with Arthur this close to him. The problem was, Alfred knew how hard pregnancies were on male Omegas. It took a huge toll on their bodies. As such, Alfred had made sure so far to take every precaution necessary to ensure that Arthur's health and wellbeing were placed absolutely first amidst the entire pregnancy. He had read books, consulted with their doctor, and had come up with a list of absolute "do's" and absolute "don'ts" regarding what was fine for Arthur to do during his time pregnant. And that meant, as hard as it was for him, that " _getting intimate_ " was on the list of don'ts.

Honestly, a little kissing and touching would be fine—but Alfred wasn't completely confident that he could stop just there. And knowing Arthur he would beg and plead to purposefully try and get Alfred to forget about his promise to restrain himself. But, Alfred had made a promise to Arthur, and he was going to uphold it...Was what he was telling himself, but it was getting real hard to think that way with the pair of pretty pink lips resting against his neck. Alfred barely restrained a groan when Arthur began placing soft kisses against the crook of his neck.

"A-Arthur..." Alfred groaned, clutching desperately to the towel around his waist with one hand, holding Arthur's back with the other. "I really need to get dres—ungh!" He shivered as Arthur licked his neck, then began sucking at the same spot.

"Mmm, you smell so goood," Arthur repeated, lifting his head up just long enough to say so before sucking the skin again. "Your pheromones are so strong here."

Alfred felt his breathing quicken as he made the mistake of inhaling through his nose. The smell of Arthur's arousal was clear to his nose, and it was nearly impossible for him to control himself when he could smell how turned on Arthur was.

Arthur's teeth grazed skin, nibbling the same spot on Alfred's neck.

 _Damn, he's sure making a big mark..._ Alfred groaned. That was about the last thing he needed to get teased about from Francis and Matthew.

Francis and Matthew! Alfred's eyes snapped open. He had nearly forgotten—they should be here any minute.

With great, great amounts of self-control, Alfred regretfully pulled away from his mate. "Babe...Francis..and Matthew...will be here...any minute..."

"Who cares about them, what about me?" Arthur whined, turning big puppy dog eyes up at Alfred. He never could refuse those adorable eyes.

Just as Alfred leaned forward with a sigh—ready to drop down and capture Arthur's pouty lips in his own—the sound of a door bell filled his ears. Alfred's head immediately snapped up. "Coming!"

Arthur watched with a frown as Alfred leapt over things in his way and exited the master bedroom.

The doorbell rung impatiently a few more times before Alfred made it to the door. "I'm coming, I'm coming," he huffed, unlocking the door and wrenching it open.

Matthew and Francis were revealed, the latter looking more exhausted than the first.

"Uh, hey Al..." Matthew's face, which had been drawn up into a smile, now wavered to an amused grin. He was definitely holding back laughter.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

"Not your face..."

" _Mon dieu_ , Alfred..." Francis groaned and reached around to cover Matthew's eyes with his hands. "I am so glad that you feel comfortable enough around us to answer the door showing off your boner, but I seriously doubt that the rest of your neighborhood appreciates it."

Alfred's eyes grew in shock. "Huh?!" He glanced down at his tented towel-encased nether-region and scampered back into the house.

Matthew pulled Francis' hands down from his face and finally released the laughter he had been holding back.

"Uh, let yourself in. I'll be right back!" Alfred's face flushed scarlet as he turned and darted past the living room and into the master bedroom.

The pair watched as Alfred disappeared before moving.

"Oh, that was funny." Matthew giggled, stepping through the front door as Francis pushed it open from behind him. "I can't remember the last time I've seen Al so flustered."

Francis entered the threshold behind his lover and closed the front door, locking it for good measure. "Yes well I certainly did not need that sight burned into my eyes first thing in the morning," he grumbled, reaching down to slip off his loafers.

"Well, at least he was wearing a towel," Matthew giggled again, toeing off his own shoes. He grabbed Francis' hand and led him into the living room where they took a seat on the couch.

"As if that helped much," Francis scoffed.

A door opened, and Arthur strolled into the living room—looking equal parts annoyed and amused.

"Hey Arthur," Matthew chirped, standing up from the couch to give Arthur a quick hug.

"Hello Matthew." Arthur returned the hug and gave him a kiss on the cheek before moving to sit in one of the chairs across from the couch.

"Is everything alright?" Matthew helped Arthur sit before returning to the couching and snuggling against Francis.

"Yes yes." Arthur waved a hand, his lips quirking. "Did Alfred really answer the door wearing only his towel?"

Francis groaned. "Unfortunately. I am going to have to find some bleach for my eyes..."

"Yes. I can't imagine what got into him..." Matthew grinned and quirked a brow in Arthur's direction.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Don't get me started."

"Oh? Trouble in paradise?" Francis quipped.

"None that you need concern yourself with," Arthur replied tightly.

"Really? _Tsk tsk_. Well I am sure that whatever you are fighting about is nonsense anyways, so it would probably be best just to drop it, _non_?"

"Is there anything we can help with?" Matthew asked, placing a hand on Francis' arm to shush him.

"No, no." Arthur waved a hand dismissively. "It's just the usual."

Francis opened his mouth, no doubt to make teasing remark, when the door to the master bedroom opened again. Alfred stepped out, thankfully wearing more clothes than he had left with. He caught Francis and Matthew's gaze and flushed.

"Uh, hey guys..."

Francis dipped his head in acknowledgment. Matthew grinned mischievously. "At least you're remembered pants this time!"

Alfred's cheeks flushed further and he shot a scowl at his younger brother.

"Too bad they're on backwards~!" Matthew giggled as Alfred's eyes widened and his gaze shot downwards to scrutinize his pants—which were very much on the right way.

"Mattie, _you_ —!" Alfred growled, taking a step forwards that suggested he was gonna chase the smaller man.

Matthew squealed and jumped up from his spot on the couch, darting over to hide behind the chair Arthur was occupying. "Arthur, call off your husband!" He peered over the back of the chair to watch Alfred's dumbstruck expression.

Arthur merely sighed, rolling his eyes yet again.

"Why is everyone ganging up on me today...?" Alfred sighed and threw his hands up in the air. "I need some more coffee."

Francis snickered and stood, following Alfred. "Shall we get started on breakfast then?"

"Hey, wait! I wanna help too! I thought we were all gonna cook together?" Matthew protested, leaping out from his hiding spot behind Arthur's chair. "Right, Arthur?"

Alfred shook his head before Arthur could answer. "Nope. Just Francis and I are gonna cook. You and Arthur can watch TV or something." He made shooing motions with his hands. Alfred obviously was still upset with all the teasing he had been getting.

"Ah, come on. Francis?" Matthew turned big doe eyes up at his lover.

"Err, well, _mon amore_..." Francis grinned and rubbed the back of his head. He really couldn't say no to anything that Matthew asked of him.

"Why don't you just let Francis and I cook—then you and Arthur can decide which one of us is the better cook?" Alfred proposed with a sudden grin. His pride has taken a beating today, so there was nothing like a little competition to get an ego boost and make him feel better.

"Ah, excellent idea Alfred!" Francis grinned and turned to Matthew. "Won't you let me show off for you, _mon amore_ ~?" He reached a hand out and stroked the underside of Matthew's chin seductively.

Matthew positively melted at the touch. " _Mmhmm_."

Francis grinned and traced Matthew's soft lips with the pad of his thumb.

"Oh bloody hell," Arthur complained, hoisting himself out of the armchair and shouldering past the lovey pair to get to the kitchen. "If you don't hurry up and decide, I'm just gonna make my own breakfast."

"Alright, alright!" Alfred grinned tightly, tension obviously not gone between the two of them. "Let's go."

Matthew grinned and grabbed Francis' hand, pulling him to the kitchen behind Alfred.

 **Xxxx -USxUK- xxxX**

"Alright—so we're in agreement then?" Alfred finished tying the apron behind his back and glanced over at Francis.

" _Oui_. We shall each cook a few dishes for breakfast, and then our lovely spouses will decided a winner, non?" Francis dropped a wink towards Matthew and grinned.

Matthew grinned back, then caught Alfred's gaze. Alfred scowled.

"Oh come on, Al." Matthew giggled. "Don't give up before the fight's already started~"

" _Oui_." Francis smirked. "If we are being fair, I am already at a disadvantage. You have not only your lovely wife as a judge, but also your adorable little brother."

Arthur scowled at the teasing remark directed at him. "Well maybe I'll hate _both_ of your cooking."

Alfred barely restrained a groan. " _Baaaabe_."

"Oh, poor Alfred." Francis laughed.

"C'mon Arthur—don't you want Alfred to win?" Matthew swiveled his barstool and turned towards Arthur, who was sitting on a stool next to him.

Arthur frowned and leaned an elbow onto the island counter in front of them. Francis and Alfred had turned away from their spectators and were currently digging through the fridge, presumably pulling out ingredients that they were planning on using.

"He's being a prat..."

"Al is?"

"...Yes."

"Why?"

Arthur flushed. "I don't know, because he just is!" he snapped.

Matthew giggled. "It's nice to see that you two are still getting along so well."

"Whatever..." Arthur scowled, pursing his lips

Matthew redirected his gaze towards Francis and Matthew. "Are you two about ready~?"

"Uhh, just about I think..." Alfred set one last mixing bowl on the counter before turning back to face the island counter.

"Ready?" Francis quirked an amused brow at Alfred's nervous expression

"Hah. Practically born ready."

Matthew grinned excitedly and grabbed a whisk from the counter, holding it up to his mouth like a microphone. "Alright! Hello viewers and welcome to the brand new variety show—' _What is Arthur craving for breakfast?_ ' ! I'm your host and commentator, Matthew! In this show, our two esteemed professional chefs will have to battle each other to prepare an extravagant breakfast suited to the refined palette of our guest and judge, Arthur!"

"Wait a sec. _Professional che_ —?"

"First, Arthur will decide what foods he's craving the most this morning—and which ones are setting his morning sickness on edge! Using the list of Arthur-approved foods, each chef will have to prepare a breakfast that will wow our judge!"

Francis and Alfred exchanged horror-struck glances.

This is _not_ what they had signed up for...


End file.
